They’ve had a horrific run with injury so far this season and looked dead and buried just a matter of weeks ago. However, new import Kevin Dillard is the real deal and worked brilliantly in tandem with Kirk Penney to produce 28 points and the match-winning three against Brisbane on Sunday.

Illawarra could put one of the final nails in the Breakers play-offs coffin at the WEC on Friday but it will be no easy task – certainly not as easy at it appeared on paper two weeks ago.

Coach Paul Henare admitted after the last gasp win over Brisbane that a play-offs tilt is in the back of his team’s collective mind.

“What will be will be. All we can control is what we’re doing game by game,” Henare said.

“It’s obviously something we’re aware of. We’ve addressed that we need to win games and win multiple games.

“We’ll enjoy [the Brisbane win]. We found a way to hang around and make plays towards the end and it was good to get across the line but now it’s back to the drawing board and back to the practice floor.

“We’ve got Illawarra next Friday and they’ve given us some troubles the last couple of times we’ve played them so we’re going to have to be up for that one.”