If you talk to the fifth-placed Cowra Magpies, in particular assistant coach Steve Sutton, they'll acknowledge there's a pretty simple formula for what they need to secure a finals spot this weekend.
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A win.
"If we win this weekend, we're home free, if we lose this weekend we've got to rely on CYMS losing one of their games," Sutton said.
While the sixth placed Orange CYMS have a difficult final two weeks, with a fixture against the third placed Mudgee Dragons followed by an end of season derby against the league leading Orange Hawks, Sutton says there obvious benefits if the Magpies get the job done ahead of another bye.
"If we can go down to Bathurst on Sunday and come away with two points, we can put our feet up the following week, watch the other eight sides bash each other up and then be ready for the semis the week after that."
However, there is one catch: This week's opponent is the reigning premiers and second-placed side, the Bathurst Panthers, and the Magpies have yet to beat a side in the top three this year.
It's an issue that Sutton acknowledges his side will need to confront this weekend, especially after an otherwise impressive five weeks of footy that have yielded four wins and a draw, the latter coming against the Dragons.
"We need to get a big scalp," Sutton said.
"There's no bigger scalp than the defending premier... we'd love nothing more than to beat them on their home turf.
"It gives you the belief that you can go the distance."
While the Magpies lost their mid-season clash to the Panthers, 28-12, Sutton said the team, which endured an injury and form afflicted run throughout the middle of the year, was a far more settled outfit than the one that took to Sid Kallas Oval just over two months ago, despite ongoing injury issues.
Lee McClintock has tweaked his hamstring and will miss, while Ben Gunn and Warren Williams will also be out of the side for another week.
"We're still not quite at 100 per cent full strength, but we're slowly and surely getting there," Sutton said, adding that this year's recruits, like Lewis Dwyer, Matt Naden and Brydon Ramien - who will slide into the centres this week to cover for McClintock - have been key to the Magpies' late season run.
While Sutton doesn't underestimate the challenge that the Panthers represent this weekend, it is clear he believes the Magpies are ready whatever might come their way on Sunday at Carrington Park.
"They're a dangerous side across the park... They've got a lot of strike, and if you concentrate too hard on one area you'll get burnt in another," he said.
"All 17 of our players have got to stand up and do a job and they've got to do it to the best of their ability.
"If they do that, we're a more than even money chance of coming away with something out of the game."
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