St George Illawarra Dragons coach Shane Flanagan was quick to take a different approach to the first time his side were preparing to meet the Cronulla Sharks after Sunday afternoon's victory over the Gold Coast Titans.
The win, which moved the joint-venture to eighth spot on the NRL ladder, leaves them with a chance to all but lock in a finals spot next weekend against the Sharks.
The Dragons, however, lost to Cronulla when the two sides met in Round 9, with Flanagan having set the tone for the game less than a week prior, telling his press conference after a Round 8 drubbing at the hands of the Sydney Roosters that he was 'interested in beating' the Sharks, before taking a shot at the club he used to coach.
"Next week comes around really quick and we play a team from down the Shire who I'm really interested in beating," Flanagan said on Anzac Day ahead of the Round 9 clash.
"It has been marked in the calendar for a while. It won't be an emotional week no, I won a competition there, I don't think they have won since have they?"
This time though, speaking after the Dragons' win which Flanagan described as 'resilient' over the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday afternoon, he was ready to take a far more laid back approach, but admitted it will be a big game.
He also revealed his team have hit his own pre-season expectations.
"I'm not sure who we play" Flanagan joked when asked about the game next weekend.
"No, it's a big game. I'm sure the Sharks will be still trying to cement themselves in the top four, and we will be trying to cement ourselves for the top eight.
"It'll be a great occassion. All I wanted from this group is to be in the hunt at the end of the year to play semi-finals, and now we are there. Destiny is in our own hands."
Captain Ben Hunt said it was up to him and his teammates to secure a spot in the finals.
"It was a massive win in the context of our season I guess. We jumped into eighth spot now," Hunt said.
"It's up to us to go and get it now. We have given ourselves a shot to play finals footy and that's all you can ask for given where we came from last year so it's up to us to go and get it."
Hunt, who at one stage had asked for a release from the Dragons, said he was now 'excited' about the big games the club are taking part in.
"Definitely. It has me really excited. The type of footy I know we can play, we are getting these big games, if we can keep producting that then it's very exciting times for the Dragons and I'm very thrilled to be part of it," Hunt said.
The Dragons last played finals in 2018.
