The Griffith Blacks have been enjoying a strong run in the middle of the season and prepare for their next test which sees them travelling to Wagga to take on Ag College on Saturday afternoon.
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The Aggies were, in fact, the last team to beat the Griffith side who have enjoyed six straight wins since the last time the teams met in round six.
Coach Craig Morriss knows this weekend won't be a walk in the park.
"Probably going to be just as hard if not harder than last weekend (against Waratahs)," he said.
"The Aggies always lift a level when they play us and they aren't going to rest. They will want to move along, and so do we."
It has been a tough run of games which is set to continue past this week as they play host to CSU before finishing the regular season with games against Tumut and Leeton.
Morriss hopes these games will help to set them in the right mind frame for the finals.
"I think we have three or four tough games before finals we just have to keep getting through them and keep doing what we have been doing and improving each week," he said.
"It fires us up a bit and gets us use to those types of physical games. Probably the downside of it is that you get a few injuries out of it."
The Blacks will be without a couple of key players this weekend through injuries.
"Johnny (Brown) will be out for the best part of three to four weeks and Boz (Daniel Bozic) will definitely be out this week and maybe even the week after," he said.
"Will Valeri is also unavailable for most of the rest of the year, he might make it back in for finals time. It is a big loss to us he has been going really well, and he has been a great young kid for the club.
"He has been a great pick up and is a great young fella, and the club really enjoys having him around. He plays good hard footy and is one of those guys who is a pleasure to coach."
Morriss knows that if his side is to make an impression on the final, they will need to secure the middle of the field which let them down against Waratahs.
"Tahs got a couple of tries through there, and we weren't able to get a hand on them from a couple of set pieces," he said.
"We have to work on that going forward because my view of finals football is that it is won on defence. If you defend well it gives you every chance of winning the game."
Having not made finals for a couple of seasons, the prospect of reaching the business end of the season has the side in high spirits at training and Morriss has been proud of the commitment shown by his players.
The first-grade clash will get underway at 3.20pm at Beres Elwood Oval.
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