Liam Farrell states Wigan Warriors want to get the best out of themselves in the game against St Helens

The two teams go head-to-head on Friday night, in their fourth meeting of the season.

Farrell states the gap has closed between the clubs, but insists there is still plenty of work to be done.

He said: “There’s probably been a bit more excitement this year because of the way both teams have been playing.

“A big crowd is expected, Saints are playing well and so are we, so it is a game I’m looking forward to.

“Our fans have been great in general this year, so if they can get on the back of us then that will make it even better.

“A lot is riding on this weekend for us as we try to secure top two, but they’ve got something to play for as well, which we don’t want them to get at our place.

“Our main focus is making sure we get a performance. We probably underperformed at the Magic Weekend, but at this time of the year the intensity is high and we want to get the most out of ourselves, doing all of the simple things right.

“There’s still a gap between us and them. They’re still the standout team at the top, and we’ve been trying to catch them all year.

“It’s been good for us, because we know what we want to do, we know what we want to be, and we know what we want to win.”

Farrell says he’s got plenty of strong memories from derby day, both as a player and from the stands.

“As a fan as a kid, the Wigan Saints one at Knowsley Road, with Andy Farrell and Paul Sculthorpe fighting, stands out in my mind,” he added.

“Obviously Good Friday 2011 was a really good one for me, and even though I was on the losing end, the Grand Final in 2020 was special as well.

“There’s been some very memorable games, but they are always the same.

“This is a game that doesn’t need to be pushed, I’m sure every other club looks at this as a top class match.

“I think it’s the best sport in the world anyway, but I think it’d be even better if we always had contests like the one we will have this week.”