LEE Radford has cast off any suggestions Hull FC's clash with Wakefield on Sunday is a home banker, insisting Richard Agar's men pose a real threat.
The Wildcats arrive at the KC Stadium on the back of a six-match losing streak and rooted firmly in a relegation battle.
For Hull, the game provides an opportunity to string back-to-back wins together for the first time this year.
Expectation and form indicate a comfortable home win, but Radford is adamant it won't be so easy for his men.
"It's going to be a really tough game. When you look at their side, there is some real quality there and then you look at their results and it tells a different story," said Radford.
"We know Rich will want to beat his old club and there are a lot of Hull connections in their squad.
"Their recruitment was done really late which will have affected their pre-season, so I am sure Rich will be pleased he's had two weeks to work with the players for this game. It's going to be a tough game I imagine.
"We are expecting a response from them and they will benefit from the week off they have had."
Hull have also benefited from a two-week gap between games because of the cup exit, with Radford using the time to freshen up his players and work on some key areas.
"Defensively, we are conceding on average 16 points a game and we'd like to bring that down slightly, but we have the third best defensive record in the competition," he added.
"Attacking with the ball we look enterprising, so we have just got to keep maintaining that and improve it too."
