Wollongong coach Gordie McLeod has come up with the perfect analogy to ensure the Hawks are not looking past tonight's all-important road stoush with the Breakers.
Clinging to fourth spot with four games to play, the Hawks face their moment of truth this week, with tonight's game followed by a home meeting with Gold Coast on Saturday.
Two wins would assure them of their first finals berth in four years, while two losses would mean they need to beat Melbourne (home) and Adelaide (away) in next week's final round of the regular season.
Full coverage of the Wollongong Hawks McLeod said his side hadn't even mentioned Saturday's date with the Blaze.
"If I was having a heart operation, I don't want my heart surgeon thinking about the operation he's doing on Saturday, I want him to think about the operation he's doing on Thursday. That's where we're at and that's the mindset we have to go by," he said.
"It has to be about the challenge at hand. If you start worrying about things which are down the track, it takes away from what you're trying to do at that moment.
"We have to stay focused on what's in our control. We have to channel all our thought process into New Zealand and when that game is done we move on to the next challenge. That's the only way we can approach it.
"We need to go out and be the Hawks. We've got our style of play we've been developing and working on and we have to find ways to disrupt New Zealand."
Wollongong (13-11) haven't been out of the top four since the start of the season, while the fifth-placed Breakers (12-13) have won their past three games to keep their slim top-four hopes alive.
After playing six games in 20 days, the Hawks haven't suited up since the January 22 road loss to Townsville.
"We tried to replicate playing games as best as we possibly could during the lay-off," McLeod said.
"We had a tough week last week, and now with two games this week, we have to get sharp and get switched on to what the challenge is going to be.
"Practice was shorter and sharper this week because it's a big week for us with regards to travelling and playing, and that's just one of the challenges you have to deal with."
Despite striking form lately, the Breakers have lost all three games against Wollongong in 2009-10 and might feel the pressure.
"We can't think about what they're thinking or not thinking," McLeod said.
"They've got players who've played for Australia and New Zealand and the import (Kevin Braswell) they've brought in late has helped change the dynamics of the team and that's a new challenge for us as well."
McLeod said the Hawks' defensive plan did not revolve solely around Breakers scoring machine Kirk Penney.
"You look at the make-up of their team and you're flirting with danger if you think it's just about taking Kirk Penney out of the game. They've got so many guys who can get it done," he said.
"They're at their most dangerous when they're shooting the three-ball well and when they get their running game going, and that's the challenges confronting us."
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