By MARK CASHMAN

The key to coaching in many cases is assessing the talent at your disposal and adapting a game plans that suits the bodies and skills of that group.

That’s been the philosophy of West Harbour coach Mark Gudmunson this season and by the looks of the results over the past month it’s starting to pay some dividends.

Wests travel to Newcastle to take on the Hunter Wildfires on Saturday and Gudmunson just wants his charges to stick to the game plan – and even more so when things start to go off the rails, as they inevitably do.

“We’re getting some return from sticking to the game plan that we have trained for in recent weeks and the boys are starting to see that that plan works,” Gudmunson said.

“Last week we went away from it in the last 20 minutes of the first half and it allowed the Two Blues back into the game and to get in front.

“I have watched a lot of Newcastle footage and that was not them last week, so I have not taken too much notice of that game.

“We need to be clinical at the breakdown, strong in our carries and finish with quality. Some of the results they have had do not reflect the quality they have.

“There are a few guys that we have marked to stop but at the end of the day our ability to play high tempo rugby is the key.”

Wildfires coach Scott Coleman is hoping that his side has the right mindset for what will be their final home game of the 2020 season.

“We have come across a few injuries of late but the boys will definitely be turning up ready for battle, as it is our last home game,” Coleman said.

“Wests have a strong scrum, a big forward pack and definitely some pace out wide.

“So we will be up against it but hopefully we turn up with the right frame of mind and can match them.

“We need a win to build on what we have done so far and for our case to play in the Shute Shield in 2021.”

HUNTER WILDFIRES (1-15):

David Puchert, Phillip Bradford, Geraint Weaver, Jeremy Burrill, Sevanaia Rokobara, Alec Corcoran, Shawn Ingle, George Noa, Mahe Fangupo, Brendan Holliday, Hamish McKie, Taulogo Lalaga, Nimilote Qio, Taylor Acheson, Chad Northcott.

WEST HARBOUR (1-15):

Sonny Satuala, Tametai Lomax, Cameron Betham, Otto Wendt, Jordan Sharp, Damien Flemming, Carlo Tizzano, Francis Iremia Saufio, Dion Spice, Patrick Pellegrini, James Turner, Cooper Henwood, Connor Chittenden, Justin Tuvae, Josh Petero.

IMAGE: JEREMY BRENNAN / WEST HARBOUR