The standout side over the opening half of the competition, the Dogs set a cracking early pace, putting a 30-point flogging on Wests in Magic Round to stake a compelling title claim. It put them at Winx-like odds to finish in the top two before a wet-weather fortnight significantly blunted their momentum.

It saw them drop back-to-back games to Thirroul and De La Salle before notching an important but lacklustre win over the young Canaries at Dapto in round 12. With just two games to go in the regular season, coach Nathan Fien admits there were some sobering conversations heading into last weekend's 22-16 win over Wests.

"It pretty much started after the Dapto game, it was a pretty sombre dressing room for a team that had just got a win," Fien said.

"We hadn't been at our best and after the win at Dapto we put the challenge to the boys to play with a bit more energy and a bit more passion for each other and try and celebrate the little wins in the game. We just went through a patch there where we weren't doing that enough.

"Credit to the boys, it was the senior players who were driving that and our last week of training you could just feel the energy and the focus of the boys was a lot better. You could just sense the business end of the year is only around the corner.

"The challenge is to keep that going. We've got Helensburgh now and we've got to get ourselves up for that without looking too far ahead."

With fourth-placed De La Salle a live chance of upsetting second-placed Wests just next door, the Dogs could still finish second and earn an extra life via the major semi-final with a win over the Burgh, but a far better points differential would ensure the Devils two bites at the cherry if they see off De La.

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It's a remarkably different finals dynamic this season, with four genuine contenders heading into the post-season and the major and minor semi-finals to be played on the same day as a double-header after being played on separate weekends in previous years.

The condensed finals series perhaps places less emphasis on where teams finish in the pecking order but, echoing the sentiments of his three rivals, Fien isn't losing sleep over ladder machinations.

"I'm not one to look at the ladder and work out the for and against and where we're going to finish if this or that happens," he said.

"You can turn yourself into a crazy person trying to predict those things. In terms of that two and three, I think from a for and against point of view we're probably resigned to the fact we're going to finish third anyway.

"When [Wests] played those teams that they beat they went on it with it. We had an opportunity against Dapto when we got out to a good lead but just couldn't kick away from them. That's probably hurt us in that sense.

"While [last week's] result doesn't change too much for us, it's more so about the mindset of the playing group and where we're at as a club. Any one of [the top four] teams can win and we know we can if we produce like we did [against Wests]."

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The Dogs still have arguably their biggest weapon in the holster, with captain Blake Phillips missing the win over the Devils due to a suspension that will also keep him out of this week's clash with Helensburgh.

He'll return for the finals and shapes as a major shot of adrenaline should his side take good form into the big games.

"Butchy's been here for a number of years and he's done it in this comp time and time again," Fien said.

"He's our captain, he's our inspirational leader. Everyone's at different stages of their careers in our dressing room. You've got the [rookie] Benny Rumbles' that are just starting out, Thommo (Jarrod Thompson) has come out of retirement to come back.

"You just don't get these opportunities every year. For us it's all about staying in he moment and just trying to capture that and appreciate what the year's all about.

"It's that hard to win comps, you need a lot of luck and a lot of things to go your way at the end of the year. If we show that spirit and determination and that Collies style of footy, when the chips are down and everything's going against us, which at times it did [last week], we still find a way to win.

"Boofa brings that so to win without him was massive and throwing him in the mix there is hopefully going to spark us even further."

De La Salle locked themselves into the top four with a win over Helensburgh last week, a major achievement in the club's first season in the Illawarra.

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Exactly where they finish will be determined by their performance against the Devils on Saturday, with a win possibly pushing them into second spot. A loss would see them qualify in fourth spot and a showdown with Collies in week one of the finals.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Dapto will host Cronulla Caringbah at Dapto Showground and minor premiers Thirroul host Corrimal at Gibson Park.

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