It hasn't been the easiest road to the grand final for the Wellington Cowboys reserve side, but captain-coach Chris Ah-See is viewing that as more of a blessing than a curse.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"We definitely took the hard route in, but saying that, having games continuously through the semi-finals is a bonus for us," Ah-See said.
"We haven't had the same team all year, but as soon as it hit semi-finals time, we've been able to field the same bunch of blokes, so it's good for us to have those extra games and get the time to gel a bit more."
READ ALSO:
That lack of consistency is also why Ah-See and his side aren't sweating their losing record against CYMS this year, noting that the team CYMS downed in round 8 is different from the Wellington side they'll meet on Sunday.
"We even faced Forbes two weeks ago and they'd beaten us twice through the year and we got the better of them, so I don't think the season means too much when it comes to finals time."
For Ah-See, the road-map to a grand final trophy is found by sticking to the fundamentals and making sure the Cowboys' experienced forward pack is given room to work.
"The more simple the footy we play, the better it will work out for us. I think if we hold the ball, complete our sets and defend well, we'll do enough to win the game."
"We'll be counting on our forward pack, you can't win a game without your forwards, you can have the best back-line, but it won't do you much good without that punch up front."
"A lot of our boys have been to the finals before, CYMS ain't going to be easy, they've had the upper hand this year, but come Sunday, I think we can turn that around."