President Heindrich Haussler appeared uneasy about the passing of some familiar landmarks from last year on the weekend, especially right  at the business end of this season.

Joeys have lost their lead on the ladder to North Armidale and they have a bye this weekend, but Norths have to play East Armidale, who should be fresh in from their bye last week. 

It is the outcome of that game that matters so much to the Joeys’ prospects for this season.

“Easts is a very good side this year and they need the points to get into the finals,” Haussler said.

It all comes down to which side wins this week’s game and what points are allotted where for Haussler, who considers the team at the top of the ladder after the last round of games as the real winner. He has very a ‘European’ view of the competition and it is the reason Haussler considers this weekend’s results so important.

“We will definitely be in the finals, but first past the post is what I really want. I don’t really give a damn what happens after that because it is not football, it is rugby,” Haussler said.

The reality is the Joeys have beaten the top sides and remain ahead of the vast majority of the other teams in this year’s competition, but it could be that if the Joeys are beaten at the post again this year, it may have more to do with demographics.

“We have injuries, we have a few players leaving because of work, one went back to his studies in the USA. We haven’t got the numbers to replace these high quality players,” Haussler said.

“(The bigger clubs) have a much bigger pool to draw their players from, and it favours the bigger centres.

“We’re talking about key players with experience; they know what to do. 

“They are not excuses, but they are telling factors, and the same thing happened to us last year.”