WARRINGTON coach Tony Smith believes his side will be up against “a very good team” in their first play-off game against the Giants at the Halliwell Jones Stadium tomorrow night.
With previous encounters proving to be close, former Huddersfield coach Smith knows an exciting clash is once again on the cards.
The scars of last year’s play-off defeat at home to the Giants still remain for the ex-England coach.
But Smith thinks his side have learned from that experience when they lost 34-22 and were knocked out of the play-offs in front of their home fans.
And the former St George Dragons stand-off is still as wary as ever to the threat the Giants pose.
He said “The Giants have been a very good team all year.
“We’ve had some tough tussles with them over the last couple of seasons, we seem to get the wood on them and then they’ll get the wood on us.
“It’s been an exciting game every time we’ve played them and I’ve no doubt it will be similar this time around.”
He added “They knocked us out last year, but we’d like to think we're in a lot better position now and have learned a lot since then.”
Meanwhile, Warrington prop Gareth Carvell is hungrier than ever for Super League success.
After his side failed in their pursuit of the Challenge Cup, the England international believes that, since then, the Wolves have only had one focus – winning the Grand Final.
But the former Hull FC and Leeds Rhinos forward knows it will be no easy task tomorrow night at the Halliwell Jones – especially as the Wolves will be without inspirational Ben Westwood to partner him in the Wolves pack.
“Tonight is going to massive,” said Carvell.
“We’ve lost the Challenge Cup, but we’ve managed to get the League Leaders Shield.
“It’s a different league now and we’ve got to start from scratch. It’s going to be another tough game against the Giants, but we really want to come up with the goods.”
Wolves: Anderson, Atkins, Blythe, Bridge, Briers, Carvell, Clarke, Cooper, Grix, Harrison, Higham, Hodgson, King, J Monaghan, M Monaghan, Morley, Myler, Riley, Solomona.
Giants: Grix, Lawrence, Gilmour, D Hodgson, Brown, Brough, Crabtree, Robinson, Griffin, Fa'alogo, Faiumu, Mason, Raleigh, Kirmond, Patrick, Horne, McGillvary, Sarsfield, Simpson.