MIKE Forshaw says finishing in the top four is not vital to this year's glory bid.

Wolves suggested before the start of Super League XI that they were looking to at least match last season's fourth-place finish and earn a home tie in the play-offs but their hopes of achieving that goal rest on tomorrow's game at Bradford.

Victory would move Wolves to within four points of fourth-placed Bradford with five games to play but defeat would increase the gap to a virtually unassailable eight points.

But Forshaw believes the players' mentality will play a bigger role in the play-offs than their final league position.

"At the start of the year you have to set some goals and everyone wants to be in the top six," said Wolves' assistant, who won six trophies in seven years as a Bradford player.

"At this moment in time we're still in the top six and, whether we finish fourth, fifth or sixth, we have to be our best every week from now on in. That's the reality of the play-offs. They're a different challenge.

"It's a different pressure, like moving from club football to representative football, and players have to raise the bar."

He added: "I've played in a lot of big games and having the right mentality is what is important. We've never got beyond the first hurdle in the play-offs in Super League so that's a great challenge for us, although we have to look at staying in the six first."

And Forshaw hopes that Wolves can pick up where they left off against Wigan, having had a week off since because of the Challenge Cup semi finals.

He said: "I think it would be a real shame if we didn't take into this game what we finished with in the last game, which was an excellent defensive effort. Going to Bradford and getting a performance right is very important to build for the end of the year."