Cessnock forward Reed Hugo admits he has never seen a tighter battle for an all-important top-three finish going into the Newcastle Rugby League finals.
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Hugo said while the top five was pretty much now entrenched, the finishing order would not be decided until the final game of the regular season when the Goannas host the Maitland Pickers in a rescheduled round 15 clash.
But he said the positive for the Goannas was that their destiny is in their own hands and three wins in their final three games - starting on Saturday when they host The Entrance - will ensure they earn a double chance.
Cessnock dropped to third on 20 points, three points behind Central Newcastle after the Butcher Boys defeated Kurri Kurri 28-12 midweek last week and Lakes 28-14 on Tuesday night.
Central play Kurri at Kurri on Saturday before hosting the Goannas in a vital round 18 clash on Sunday, August 7.
South Newcastle and Macquarie are both on 18 points after the Scorpions beat the Lions 28-18 on Saturday.
Macquarie's catch-up game against Wests has been rescheduled to Wednesday, August 11.
Hugo said prior to the July floods and last weekend's bye, the Goannas had been the form team of the competition and he backed his side to win the next three games.
"It's one of the tightest battles for the top three that I've seen in a long time," he said.
"All we can do is keep on winning games and let itself work out from there.
"Our goal from the start has been to get that top three spot and get two chances running into the finals.
"Come to this weekend we've got The Entrance and then Central and Maitland, the top two teams. If we get three wins then we get a top three spot probably second spot and a home final. We also get a good indication going into the finals of the teams we are going to come against. It will be a good little tester going into that."
Hugo said coming into the year there had been a lot of new faces joining the squad and it took a bit of time to gel and build combinations.
He said a core of local players had now successfully gelled around one of the competition's best halve pairings in captain-coach Harry Siejka and Sam Clune and some class additions across the field.
"With Harry (Siejka) coming back, he is a pretty good leader, steers a team around the ground well. Having him back out there directing us around has been great," he said.
"For a long time we've lacked having a good halves pairing. Having Harry (Siejka) and Cluney, who are two of the best halves in the comp, and the boys who have been thrown around that as well there's some class there."
Fullback Harry O'Brien has been in outstanding form over the past two months and when voting in the Newcastle RL Player of the Year Award went behind closed doors after round 13, he was equal second on 12 points, one point behind the leader Mitch Williams from Wyong.
"Harry (O'Brien) sort of started a bit slow, but then found his form and he has been probably one of the most in-form players in the competition especially over the past two months there wouldn't be many above him," Hugo said.
"Harvey Neville is another who has played really well. He has played in a lot of different positions, in the centres, off the bench, in the middle, in the back-row, but as he always does he just performs.
"Over the past couple of weeks his form has been really good and I thought he was our best against Wyong.
"For me especially as a forward, the two local boys Sam (Apthorpe) and Kori (Barber) in the middle have been enormous for us. Without those boys we would be really struggling. They play big minutes and they are at the top of the carry count every week as well the tackle count and metres gained. They have been enormous for us.
"A couple of middles who come off the bench in Sione (Ngahe), Sam Mataora, Jayden Young have been really good for us and obviously Wyatt Shaw who has been good for us for a couple of years now. He is one of the best players in the comp and his brother too Dusty whenever he is there is doing an awesome job as well.
"We've definitely got a bit of depth there as well, whenever we need it the boys stepping up are doing the job.
"It's probably the highest quality competition I've played in. The top five is probably settled now and anyone of them on their day could win it.
"You really have to produce your best every week from now on to give yourself a shot."
