WOLVES should not, and will not, fear any team in the play-offs.

Wigan may have completed a Super League double over Warrington this year, but only after Thursday’s second meeting was finally settled when the last play of the game narrowly went unrewarded.

Wolves have gathered much momentum in the past few months losing only four of 18 matches and finishing fifth by a fraction when 27 games are taken into consideration.

Wolves have experience to count on from the past two Grand Final runners-up campaigns, while they’ve proved their talent in knockout rugby with three Challenge Cup successes since 2009.

For me, the big issue is how long Wolves can maintain a play-offs push that started in early August.

Has enough juice been reserved in the tank? Will players’ bodies survive the punishment to come?

The hefty defeat of a depleted Castleford, the fightback draw with Huddersfield, the big win at St Helens and the titanic battle with Wigan — the top four clubs in the table — have given Wolves the taste of the increased demands for succeeding when it matters most.

No team has had a harder Super League run-in, and you can probably go back one game further to the Challenge Cup semi-final encounter with sixth-placed finishers Leeds on August 9.

In my view, Wolves have improved game by game during this period, and so have many of their players.

I felt that Matty Russell, Stefan Ratchford, Richie Myler and Trent Waterhouse produced their best of the season at the DW Stadium, while player of the year Chris Hill is Mr Consistency every week and Ben Harrison’s campaign had been impressively improving until his first-half injury at Wigan. Chris Bridge was looking good again, too, until his exit with an ankle problem.

And the Monaghan brothers have been immense, discounting a rogue pass that Michael will be so desperate to make up for in his remaining minutes wearing primrose and blue.

When you have a Joel in the team who can score sensational tries from the most impossible positions, you always have a chance.

I find it unbelievable that Joel, the Super League’s top try-scorer this year, did not make it into the media experts’ fictitious Dream Team announced this week.

Just a note for those still trying to get their heads round the play-offs system: if Wolves beat Widnes they will be away in the next game to the lowest-ranked losers from this week’s games being contested by the top four clubs.

So, Wolves would be away to either Castleford, Huddersfield or Wigan next Thursday or Friday.