Eastern Suburbs took plenty of momentum into last year’s finals but were beaten by grand finalists Eastwood and Gordon in back to back weeks.

Coach Pauli Taumoepeau knows his side missed an opportunity last year but thinks the club is doing everything it can to avoid something similar at the backend of this season.

Overview with Pauli Taumoepeau:

“Our preparation has been okay so far. We had our first trial on the weekend in the wet and that was really interesting. I think there was a period of the game where it just became a physical activity, rather than a game of rugby but it was good to get a game in against Manly,” Taumoepeau said.

“There are a lot of new faces at the club and with better weather, it would have been nice to get a chance to give certain players more time, but there’s nothing we could do about that.

“Looking back at last year, it’s always disappointing when you don’t finish a season with a trophy.