Flanagan expecting thrills when Saints meet Wigan

St Helens back rower Mark Flanagan is anticipating a spicy tussle, when Wigan visit Langtree Park on Friday.

Flanagan is well aware of just how intense the atmosphere can be when the two local rivals collide.

But the Saints man also knows that Keiron Cunningham‘s team have plenty of team spirit on which they can draw when things get tough.

“The atmosphere is different,” he told Sky Sports.

“As soon as it kicks off, the noise is huge, and it’s always tasty for the first 20 minutes. It’s quick, and there’s a lot of big hits that go in. It’s the kind of game you dream of playing in as a kid.

“We’ve got a lot of character within individuals, and collectively. We all get on really well both on the field and off it. I think it’s just that winning mindset.

“When you win, you get in the habit of it and you don’t want to let go. These last three or four weeks, we’ve really showed that.”

Wigan have improved in recent weeks, following their demolition in Perpignan by Catalans Dragons. They won at Huddersfield at the weekend, as their away form begins to show signs of progress.

Flanagan feels that the Catalans result might have given the Warriors the kick up the backside that they needed to find some true form.

“Sometimes you need a bit of adversity to have a look in the mirror and take stock, and get back to the training pitch, back to the hard work,” Flanagan added.

“They’ve probably done that this past few weeks. I think a lot of teams have ups and downs in a season.”