Last year the Hawks limped to a shocking 2-13 away record and Cooks believes if his team is to make the play-offs it needs to win away from home.

"It was a weakness last year - we didn't win enough games away," Cooks said.

"It's important that you are good at home, but you've got to snatch some of those road wins to get into that top-six because it's going to be a very tough competition."

The Hawks are 6-28 all-time against the Wildcats in Perth but Cooks said the history in Western Australia meant little to the playing roster.

"They (Perth) have been a powerhouse team. They're a team that over the past 20 years I think everyone has struggled with," Cooks said.

"We have a different unit here and it's a different experience for them - I don't think they'll go over there thinking about our bad record. I think the guys have been training well enough and we'll be more than competitive."

Cooks tried to address his team's road woes this year by scheduling five of its six pre-season matches away from home.

"We wanted to develop the mindset you need to play away in other people's buildings, in hostile territory.

"We won three out of the five - we beat Adelaide away, we beat Gold Coast away and Sydney Spirit - they were three good wins for us on the road in the pre-season, I am pretty confident that the guys now have that belief behind them to get the W."

Big man Larry Davidson sat out most of yesterday's training session with an ice-pack on his troublesome left knee.

But Cooks said Davidson was rested because of a cold and should be right to go against Perth.

"We just put him out to make sure he is right to go on Wednesday," Cooks said.

"Fingers crossed, you never know for sure, it is only a cold, but these things do get worse sometimes though."

Wollongong will be helped by the return of last season's NBL Most Improved Player Cam Tragardh, who has missed the side's opening two matches with a groin strain.

The Hawks will leave Wollongong this morning.

After tomorrow night's game they will catch a red-eye flight back to Sydney.

After a light recovery day on Thursday, the team will prepare for Saturday night's clash with South Dragons at WIN Entertainment Centre.

Perth beat Gold Coast 94-80 at home on Friday night with import Isiah Victor leading the way with 20 points.