The Forbes Magpies have proved before they can finish the Group 11 regular season with a wet sail and enter the finals series as a dominant and united force.
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It's what led to the club winning titles in 2016 and 2018 but turning their current form around and booking a spot in the 2021 finals may be the biggest challenge for coach Cameron Greenhalgh yet.
The Magpies sit in sixth spot, four points off the Nyngan Tigers and a place in this season's finals.
Greenhalgh's troops have the bye in the final round, meaning they virtually need to win their next three matches to be any chance of playing in September.
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The Magpies have only won once this year up to this point, and they welcome third-placed Macquarie to Spooner Oval this weekend before further home games against Narromine and rivals Parkes to round out the regular season.
"We've got three games at home now and we're going to aim for three wins," halfback Nick Greenhalgh said.
"We've been working really hard at training but it's those effort areas on game day that we need to improve."
In another huge blow, star outside back Mitch Andrews will miss Sunday's game after again aggravating a hamstring injury while prop Tongia Fox is also out.
As much as that makes the Magpies' task that little harder, the biggest thing the side needs to do is stop making so many errors.
It's been the biggest issue this season as Forbes has invited pressure on itself far too often, resulting in some lopsided scores in 2021.
Twice the Magpies have had the mercy rule used against them, as both CYMS and Wellington have beaten them 66-6.
The loss to CYMS came only last weekend and Western Rams halfback Greenhalgh knows his side needs to turn things around quickly if its to keep the slim finals hopes alive.
"We're putting patches of games together but it's about putting the full 80 minutes in week in, week out," Greenhalgh added.
"In this comp, with this amount of good players and good teams, they make you pay for your little errors and at the moment we have too many errors, so we need to fix them."
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
