DREW Hickey insists considerable squad strengthening is needed if Worcester want to gatecrash English rugby's elite next season.

And the number eight would like to see his side follow the example of London Irish who have gone from relegation candidates to potential champions in the space of 12 months.

"I think they play the best rugby in the competition," said Hickey. "London Irish finished below us last year but what they have done this year is they've found a game style that will suit them.

"They have also got a very good squad. If you look at their squad compared to last year, it is dramatically improved. The quality of their players has improved.

"But we just don't have that kind of depth. To compete at the top level, particularly at this time of the year, you need to have considerable depth, you need to be able to rotate your squad and you need to be able to keep players fresh.

"The same players can't play every game for a whole season.

"I think the quality and the depth of our squad has to be increased dramatically for us to be able to compete at that level across the whole year."

Hickey points to the example of Northampton as a side that have star players like former All Black Carlos Spencer and England World Cup winner Ben Cohen but lack the depth in talent to be able to challenge for the title.

And while Worcester lack the financial muscle of some of their more illustrious rivals, Hickey believes Irish set the standard in another regard -- their style of play.

The 30-year-old thinks English teams are starting to depart from their 10-man game, and are beginning to play with a vibrancy that is thrilling supporters up and down the land.

And the Exiles have developed their game so well that they could end the year as Premiership champions.

"You can see it all the way through the English competition," he said. "That sort of forward-orientated game isn't the way forward.

"England suffered this year. Most of the Premiership teams have finally figured out that, like London Irish do, you have to play with 15 guys.

"People have to be able to catch a pass. And unfortunately the thing that has blighted Premiership rugby is that the skill level is quite low."

Having been schooled in the fast and furious version of the game in his native Australia, Hickey believes the English model is fast moving in that direction.

Worcester have been developing their more expansive game for some time and it culminated in their superb win against Newcastle. Hickey came on as a second-half substitute and was in raptures over the performance.

"I think it was the best rugby I've ever seen at this club," he said. "That is the way we want to play. That is the way for us to go forward in the Premiership.

"That's the way we want to play next season and for years to come. That's the type of rugby you want to watch and you want to play."

For now though, Hickey has set his sights on a first ever win against Bath tomorrow.

"We really do owe them," he said. "We were on a pretty good run and Bath pretty much started the rot. We need to go down and play. It's all performance-based.