DARYL Powell has called on his Warrington Wolves players to “relax” as they prepare to take on Hull FC tonight.

The Wire go into the game on a wretched run of form having lost their last five games, and defeat at The Halliwell Jones Stadium would mean they lose six on the spin during the same season for the first time since 2002.

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On the other hand, victory will keep alive their hopes of climbing back into the top six.

In the past fortnight since the 30-24 loss at Wakefield Trinity – a game in which Wire took the lead four times only to be pegged back and eventually overhauled – Powell has openly spoken about high levels of nervousness within his squad.

Warrington Guardian:

The 30-24 loss at Wakefield Trinity last time out was Wire's fifth in a row. Picture by SWPix.com

However, he called upon his players to make sure they look after their own game first, then the collective will follow.

“We’ve been a little nervous recently with the situation, but we need to relax and start playing our best rugby league individually,” he said.

“That will then create a knock-on for the team.

“We’ve got to relax and create a really great vibe around the whole club for the remainder of the season.

“That’s what I’d really highlight – let’s get a vibe and a buzz going.

“We’ve got through a couple of really tough periods and we’ve got to come out the other side.

“Fans pay their money and want to see instant success. That’s the way it is and I understand that.

“Next season will look after itself but for the rest of this season, we have to create a vibe here.

“The fans help in that because they have to understand where we’re at. I know that is difficult as they want to see entertainment and we haven’t been able to do that as well as we’ve wanted.

“That’s in the past and all we can do is look at what’s next – that’s Hull at home and us building on the back of what we’re doing and making sure it looks much more like what we want it to.

“We can enjoy ourselves, the fans can enjoy themselves and we can create that bond that ties everyone together.

“We haven’t got that at the minute and it’s frustrating for us all, but we’re working hard to make it happen.

“Hopefully we can take a step in the right direction tomorrow in what is a pretty important game for us.”

Hull FC have problems of their own going into the game – they have lost their past five games away from home, including falling to defeat in their last two fixtures.

Warrington Guardian:

Hull FC arrive at The Halliwell Jones Stadium having lost back-to-back games. Picture by SWPix.com

Rather than fixating on exploiting any vulnerability in Brett Hodgson’s side, however, Powell is focused only on improving his own team’s display – particularly without the ball.

“It’s totally about us and the way we play,” he said.

“We have to defend better – 100 per cent. We scored enough points to win the game last week but we’ve got to defend better.

“We know we’ve got to stiffen up as a team and be more resolute and durable when we’re under pressure.

“If we get that right, then we’ll be in a much better position.

“In our heads, we have to be really strong and when we are under pressure, we’ve got to handle it.

“The last couple of weeks we’ve had have set us up for that, so now we’ve just got to get out and perform and show what we can do.”