League-leading Rovers coach Bill Robertson is the first one to agree making it to the knockout quarterfinals in the visitors' quest for a double won't be a given.
"It'll be a tough game," says Robertson, despite beating the Greeks 4-1 at the same Astroturf venue in round five of the league in April.
"They have had some changes in personnel and how they play so you can't read too much into what has happened because they have had some good wins lately."
Veteran Olympic midfielder Jimmy Haidakis says they have had three wins on the trot since he's returned from an Achilles injury but is mindful the Blues are setting the standards with 33 points on the league, eight clear of Western Suburbs with just one loss from 12 games.
The Greeks last weekend beat Suburbs 2-1.
The Rovers' potent strike weapons of Angus Kilkolly and Englishmen Ryan Tinsley and Saul Halpin are among the leaders in golden boot race.
The cup favourites from the Central League region have found the net 53 times while only a dozen have been slipped past goalkeeper Ruben Parker Hanks.
"We've opened a little gap on the top of the league table after last weekend and we've identified the cup as a target," says Robertson after captain Danny Wilson and his men flogged Lower Hutt City 8-0 at Park Island, Napier, last Sunday.
"In terms of cup competition, we have to perform but we like to approach the league in the same manner with high standards."
When they departed at 7am today via road, they left behind any excuses of Tupperware pitches, windy Wellington and travel weariness.
That's because Robertson says the Blues have performed those rituals often enough to adapt.
Besides, the freezing temperatures and wind-whipped rain in the Bay have provided an ideal preparation.
Next Sunday, the Rovers welcome the Greeks to the Bluewater Stadium for a league clash before focusing on hitting the road against the third-placed Phil Ifill-coached Wairarapa United.
Wairarapa, the 2011 champions, crashed to a 7-2 hiding at the hands of Western Subrurbs in Masterton last night.
Teams from around the country will feature from the quarterfinals stage.
Rovers centre-mid Tom Biss is out, still nursing a quad tear he picked up at the All Whites under-23 training camp.
"Tom is disappointed [on missing the Rovers/NZ cull] but he's trying to return as soon as possible," says Robertson of the ex-Wellington Phoenix hopeful.
Veteran player/assistant coach Chris Greatholder is also out with a hamstring injury.
Midfelder Daniel Ball has overcome an injury with Phil Dol returning to the Promotem Rovers reserve side.
Haidakis says Olympic, who have lifted the cup only once in 2009 and were losing finalists to Waitakere United in 1994 at McLean Park, Napier, have lost a few players this winter and found it hard to "shift teams".
"The Rovers have done well to keep most of their squad and that's what it takes to win," he says of the Blues who have several ASB Premiership (national summer league) players.
Haidakis singles out Hawke's Bay United midfielder Mario Barcia, veteran Luis Corrales and youngster Kwame Norku as playmakers finding traction in their recent revival.
Just as the Greek economy will bounce back on the foundation of a nation's ancient ruins, the proud Olympic club wallahs beg to differ from anyone - in the guise of Philistines trying to differentiate one pile of rocks from another- who accuses them of wallowing in past glories.
"The club wants us to win it [the cup] again," says Haidakis, stressing nothing has changed in terms of the ethos of Olympic.
"As a group we have won one game, then two and three and with that comes confidence.
"There's no change in the philosophy.
"We're sticking to what we've been doing the whole year," says the 31-year-old who helps run his parents' fish-and-chip shop.
Haidakis says conversely when the Mikey Halikias-skippered Greeks lost two on the trot earlier in the season their heads went down and the numbers turning out to train on bitterly cold nights dwindled dramatically.
"Now everything is hyped up and we'll just keep moving," he says, emphasising the wind tomorrow will still be a factor for the Blues at an exposed field.
In other games today, Cashmere Technical host Coastal Spirit at Garrick Memorial Park while Dunedin Technical AFC host Mosgiel AFC in the southern derby at Caledonian Ground.
Tomorrow's matches include Mangere United Soccer Club v Papakura City FC, Central United FC v Three Kings United, Tauranga City Untd AFC v Eastern Suburbs, Birkenhead United AFC v East Coast Bays AFC.
CUP DETAILS
WHO: Wellington Olympic v Napier City Rovers.
WHEN: 2pm kick off, tomorrow.
WHERE: Wakefield Park, Wellington.
OLYMPIC: James McPeake (GK), 2 Asher O'Brien, 3 Aleem Sheik, 4 Tom Serepisos, 6 Hugo Reeve, 7 Mikey Halikias (c), 8 Kwame Norku, 9 Luis Corrales, 10 Jimmy Haidakis, 11 Sam Blackburn, 12 Luciano Colluci, 13 Chas Lawrence, 14 Dan Minshull, 16 Alex Palezevic, 17 John Gerondis, 18 Charlie Attard, 19 Dimitri Apostolakis, 20 Mario Barcia, Jack Kemp (RGK).
Coach: Besim Balicevac.
ROVERS: Ruben Parker Hanks (GK), 2 Daniel Ball, 5 Finlay Milne, 6 Miles John, 7 Stephen Hoyle, 8 Ryan Tinsley, 9 Angus Kilkolly, 10 Saul Halpin, 14 Josh Stevenson, 15 James Hoyle, 16 Danny Wilson (c), 17 Fergus Neil, 19 Bill Robertson, 20 Fane Morgan, 23 Kyle Baxter (RGK).
Coach: Bill Robertson.
Asst coach: Chris Greatholder.
