HULL SEAHAWKS take the long road trip south to Basingstoke Bison today knowing only a repeat of their previous visit will be good enough to help revitalise their push for the NIHL National play-offs.

Matty Davies’s team go into the encounter looking to snap a nine-game losing streak that has left them 10 points adrift of the play-off places with 19 regular season games remaining.

Last time they were in Hampshire, the Seahawks registered their first-ever regulation road win of the season when prevailing 5-4 over Ashley Tait’s team.

But the fact that is only one of seven wins overall accounts for the team’s current plight, with Davies acknowledging that time is running out for his team’s hopes of making the post-season.

BACK IN THE GAME: Experienced forward James Archer returns from a 13-game ban for Hull Seahawks this weekend. Picture courtesy of Tony King/Seahawks Media

"I had a bit of a stern chat with the players after practice on Thursday and just sort of told them that this is it – it’s now or never for us,” said Davies.

"We’ve talked all year about how we’ve got to win this game, or win that game – this is a must-win game against Basingstoke.

"At the end of the day, if we don’t get anything out of this weekend essentially you can probably say bye to our (play-off) chances.”

A weekend away beckons for Davies and his team as Sunday brings another away game, this time at Raiders IHC, the Romford-based outfit looking more or less assured of a play-off spot as they sit comfortably clear of the bottom five in sixth spot.

MAXIMUM HAUL: Hull Seahawks' coach Matty Davies. Picture Alex Tighe/Seahawks Media.

Basingstoke, on the other hand, are a team Hull must target, sitting as they do in the eighth and final play-off spot.

"We have to play a certain way to win games, I believe,” added Davies. “I don’t think we’re going to go toe-to-toe with teams, I just don’t think we have the depth for that.

“We have to play a specific way and play quite structured. We tried it in Swindon and did okay but we couldn’t quite get over the line.

"But if we play the system, stick by it, buy in as a team and try not to do our own thing – which we’ve been guilty of doing previously, trying to win games on an individual basis – then I think we’ll start to pick up points.”

The Seahawks are boosted by the return of experienced forward James Archer following a 13-game ban, but import Andrej Themar remains an injury doubt.

Davies remained hopeful that British forward Finlay Ulrick would be cleared to join the Seahawks for the weekend by Elite League parent club Manchester Storm.

Hull Seahawks urged to find winning mentality now in order to keep NIHL National play-off hopes alive