Francis Cummins believes the Bulls have a “big chance” to inflict a hat-trick of defeats on Super League leaders Wigan tonight.

Cummins’ men have lost eight of their last nine league outings to fall out of the play-offs places but the Bulls boss senses an opportunity to halt the slide at the DW Stadium.

Shaun Wane’s side are experiencing a wobble after consecutive losses to Warrington and Castleford, and they will again be missing Man of Steel Sam Tomkins with a knee injury.

Victory for the Bulls tonight – a year after their famous success at Wigan at the height of the club’s financial crisis – would condemn the hosts to three straight defeats for the first time since 2009.

Both sides will be missing several key players but Cummins said: “It’s an opportunity. We won’t have our best 17 on the pitch but there is a big chance for someone to stick their hand up and stake a claim, like Castleford did last week.

“Why can’t Wigan lose three in a row? We know we will have to be better than last week but like I said it’s a big opportunity and we have to look at it like that.”

Despite losing at home to Warrington last weekend, Cummins saw signs of improvement in his side and believes they can build on that this evening.

Luke Gale will be back to give the Bulls some much-needed direction after missing the defeat to Tony Smith’s side following the passing of his mother.

Cummins added: “It’s another tough one but like I said last week, it’s an opportunity.

“No-one expected us to win that game and we lost Luke Gale but we scrambled very well again and we worked very hard for each other.

“I was disappointed that we lacked quality when we got at their end but we know we would with Luke missing.” Cummins expects the Warriors to be hurting after their recent losses which have seen their five-point lead at the top of the table slashed to just one.

Eyebrows were raised following their humiliating home defeat at the hands of Castleford last weekend.

Wigan coach Wane admitted this week that the DW Stadium was not intimidating enough for visiting teams and Cummins believes that could work to the Bulls’ advantage.

He said: “Wigan won’t be happy with what they came up with last week but Cas played well and produced some good plays. “If we do that and play well than I feel we can beat anyone. “We know we are going to get a backlash early on but if we get off to a good start then it can work in our favour.

“It will get easier and we can then start building tension within that ground. “It does get to their players and we have to make that happen and look forward to it.

“Wigan have been playing well this season and their fans are not used to seeing poor performances. “If we play well and get the crowd on their backs then it can only benefit us.”

Cummins and his players can certainly draw inspiration from last season’s 30-22 win at the DW Stadium. The victory came when there were serious doubts over the club’s continued existence and was followed shortly afterwards by administrator Brendan Guilfoyle making coach Mick Potter, Cummins and a dozen more staff redundant.

“Everyone thought it was going to be the Bulls’ last game,” recalls Cummins.

“Wigan fans never applaud away coaches when you’re walking up to the stands but they did before that game.

“They weren’t applauding 80 minutes later! No-one thought we could do it, but we did.

“We need more of that attitude because everything you do is an opportunity.”

Jamie Foster is set to continue at full-back with Gale returning at scrum half in place of joint-captain Heath L’Estrange, who will revert to his customary role of hooker.