GANMAIN-Grong Grong-Matong coach Jayden Kotzur is confident the Lions are still a big chance of finals football.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It is the most even Riverina League competition in history with seven teams still fighting it out for the final five positions with just three rounds remaining.
A draw between sixth-placed GGGM and Griffith in seventh last Sunday originally looked to sink both their finals chances.
But Kotzur has done his homework and believes wins in the Lions’ next two games can get them a finals spot.
“Obviously while it’s still mathematically possible, you definitely give yourself a hope, especially with the competition being so close,” Kotzur said.
“A team only has to have a bad two or three weeks and that’s enough to miss out.”
Adding intrigue to the final three round is the fact eight of the 12 games involve two of the top seven teams playing against each other.
Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes, Wagga Tigers and Coolamon are all locked together on 44 points at the top of the ladder and only need to win one of their last three games to play finals.
Collingullie-Glenfield Park and Leeton-Whitton share fourth and fifth positions on 40 points, with the chasers, GGGM and Griffith, back on 34.
The Lions face Tigers at Robertson Oval on Saturday and Kotzur knows what needs to happen.
“We’ve got to win, there is no two ways about it," he said.
“Tigers have always been a team that give ourselves a bit of trouble but we’re out to get revenge.
“In the second half of the year we’ve only lost the one game so our form has been pretty good.”
The run home
Mangoplah-CUE (44 points, 175.3%): Coolamon (home), Griffith (away), Turvey Park (home)
Wagga Tigers (44 points, 130.0%): GGGM (h), Coolamon (h), Griffith (h)
Coolamon (44 points, 120.6%): MCUE (a), Wagga Tigers (a), Collingullie-GP (h)
Collingullie-GP (40 points, 135.1%): Griffith (h), GGGM (a), Coolamon (a)
Leeton-Whitton (40 points, 116.3%): Bye, Turvey Park (a), Narrandera (h)
Ganmain-GGM (34 points, 109.9%): Wagga Tigers (a), Collingullie-GP (h), Bye
Griffith (34 points, 106.5%) Collingullie-GP (a), MCUE (h), Wagga Tigers (a)