Ben Flower highlights the one area Wigan Warriors need to address

The champions have lost their last two Super League games, to Catalans and Warrington, as well as their Challenge Cup sixth-round clash against the Wolves earlier this month.

Now in ninth place on the Super League ladder, Warriors are four points away from the play-off place – and only four points above bottom-placed London.

“Obviously it’s not been great, we’re in ninth and that says it all,” said Flower. “To see how well we play and we’re not coming away with the results we deserve and it’s down to execution.

“We’re getting into the arm wrestle and letting sides off the hook.

“We need to keep sides in the arm wrestle and, when we do that with any team, we can live with them because we’re fit enough.

"But when we’re giving them back the ball, it’s hard because we can’t defend all the time. We need to nail our skill.”

Wigan have conceded 26 or more points in seven of their last 10 games, but Flower insists their woes are not down to defence.

The Wales international says the difficult reading in their ‘points against’ column is down to the fact they are simply letting their opponents keep too much of the ball.

“You can see our defence is getting better, we need to hold the ball,” he said. “We need to get back to where we know we can get to. I feel we’re not far off.

“We’re massively disappointed, but we’re growing as a team, and the young lads are doing a great job.”

Despite sensing improvement, Flower knows the rest of Super League won’t wait for Wigan.

With 13 Super League games left to try and earn the chance to defend their title in the play-offs, the task in front of Adrian Lam’s men isn’t easy.

“It’s tight but we need to make sure we clean up the way we play, and we’re not clinical enough,” explained Flower.

“The boys are putting in the effort, and we need to perform as a collective team.

“We never get an easy game, Super League is too hard now. You look at these fixtures and you have to be confident but there are no guarantees, everyone is beating everyone at the minute. It’s the way it’s going at the minute.

“No matter how well you play, if you’ve not won it doesn’t matter. That’s how I look at it.”