The Maitland Magpies resume their quest to secure the 2022 double when they host Broadmeadow Magic in the major semi-final at Cooks Square Park on Sunday.
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The Magpies are chasing a spot in their third grand final in a row and their first champions trophy.
The team will be boosted by the return of the versatile Ty Cousins who has starred in defence this season after winning the Rookie of the Year award in the front-third last year.
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"If we win this weekend we got straight into the grand final. If we lose we play the winner of Jaffas and Olympic in the preliminary final for a spot in the grand final," Magpies coach Mick Bolch said of the road to the grand final on Sunday, October 2.
"You want to win, you don't want to have to go to a preliminary final to get the win. It's all about this weekend.
"We get Couso back this week, which gives us that bit more depth that will help out. We're in good shape coming in."
The winner of Sunday's encounter goes straight into the grand final, which is scheduled to be at Newcastle No.2 Sportsground on Sunday, October 2.
Maitland are refreshed and raring to go with the first week of the finals off courtesy of claiming the premiership with a 3-1 win against Lambton Jaffas in the final round of the NPLM Northern NSW season on September 4.
The Magpies claimed their second premiers trophy after collecting the 2019 title, but the club is still to collect a champions trophy with 1-0 and 2-0 losses to Edgeworth in the 2019 and 2020 grand finals respectively.
It's been a hugely successful period for the Magpies missing out on claiming the 2021 premiership by just one point when the season was cut short without a finals series.
"If we can make the grand final this time, it will be the third grand final we've made in a row," Bolch said.
"They've lost the previous two so it's definitely a burning desire for those who have been involved in the last two to really one."
The Magpies are in strong form with wins against Magic and Jaffas in the past month. The only team in the finals race they have a recent loss to are Newcastle Olympic
"I think we've been playing finals football for the last three or four weeks. Magic, Olympic, Edgy and Jaffas are four big teams, so to get through that and win the minor premiership I think we've been playing finals football for the last month," Bolch said.
"Hopefully the boys will have the same intensity this Sunday, which I think they will. You don't need to be lifted for a grand final qualifier.
Hopefully we can emulate what the league boys did (Maitland Pickers grand final win). It's a sports town so hopefully we get a good crowd up there and they get right behind the boys.
Unfortunately, the Magpies reserve grade and under-18 teams bowed out of the finals race on Saturday.
Reserve grade lost 2-1 to Magic in the elimination final at Lisle Carr Oval and the under-18s also lost to Magic going down 1-0 at the same venue.
The Magpies NPLW team had a 12-0 win against New Lambton in their final regular season game. They finished fifth three points outside the top four and finals.
