RICHIE MATHERS is looking forward to kicking a few of his best mates while they are down.

The Wigan full-back will line up against Leeds next Friday for a Headingley showdown with a Grand Final berth as a prize.

And despite growing up as a player at the famous Rhinos Academy, and numbering many of the Leeds players among his best buddies, he can’t wait to end their season and put them on a dismal low.

Mathers, 24, admitted: “Playing against Leeds is extra special for me.”

Wigan are unlikely candidates to reach the showpiece Old Trafford final after having to travel to the bear-pit that is the Stade Gilbert Brutus.

But they silenced a passionately-partisan Perpignan crowd by rattling up a half century against Catalans Dragons.

Mathers was a scorer in the nine-try romp, a magical moment in an up-and-down season in which he has been sent off twice and struggled for form.

He signed from Aussie side Gold Coast Titans at the beginning of the year after having to have knee reconstruction surgery Down Under last year.

He said: “It was the hardest game I’ve ever played in, certainly those first 20 minutes.

“But to get over and score . . . well it’s not personal, it was for the team, and I was delighted.

“We’ve been up and down this year, collectively and personally. But we’ve sat down at times, me as an individual and the team as a whole and thought about what we’ve wanted to do. We tried to set out our goals and hopefully it’s coming good.”

Trent Barrett, Mark Calderwood and Pat Richards scored two tries apiece with Mathers, George Carmont and Gareth Hock bagging the others.

Now it’s full focus on Headingley, where Wigan have already won this year for a winner-takes-all, loser-goes-out showdown.

Leeds finished the campaign in second spot, but Mathers knows many of the Rhinos have demons to face down.

The Rhinos were battered 38-10 by St Helens in the qualifying semi-final — a severe jolt to their confidence.

Mathers added: “A lot of them are mates and I know they will be hurting. But as a Leeds lad I know how tough they are too. It will be a special game.”

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