That is, call the game off early, give the visitors a few beers and send them on their way back through the Manawatu Gorge with the season's blessings.
Agreeing it was an easy task to front the media yesterday, Rovers assistant coach Chris Greatholder said: "It's obvious we're playing at a higher level than them but I think they've had a good day as well because they could have thrown the towel in and lost the plot in terms of their discipline and all that because from the outset it wasn't going to be their day."
On the flip side, Greatholder emphasised the Blues had to take a professional stance because they had a job to do in their quest for a double - cup and league.
In some respects, he felt it was a good scrimmage because they were backing it up with a game 48 hours earlier in their 4-2 league victory over Lower Hutt City on Saturday.
"It was the benefit of a kind draw so we'll take that because it's only our second home draw, I think, from 12 [cup] games," he said.
The hosts also were able to experiment with the entire squad, knowing it wouldn't have been possible against the bigger boys in the league.
That extends to a "massive performance" away against Western Suburbs this Saturday who are second on the league table and also held them to a 1-all draw in round one on April 3.
"We're determined to get out there and send the message out to the rest of the league actually that we're back on form and the side to catch again," said Greatholder after the Bill Robertson-coached Blues stumbled 3-1 away to Stop Out a fortnight ago in their only loss of the season.
Competition for the starting XI and bench was the most intense, he felt, it had ever been at the flagship club in his time.
"It's a selection headache so we're in a healthy place right now."
However, yesterday every player looked sublime and even those who wouldn't have fancied surging up the field to score a goal for fear of losing structure in a challenging cup match did.
The only player who didn't have a workout was reserve goalkeeper Kyle Baxter but that will definitely change against Western Suburbs.
Conversely, Massey goalkeeper Nino DeGregorio was wasted although it seemed he couldn't catch a cold as he fumbled every ball he stopped, resulting in several goals.
Midfielder Josh Stevenson continued from his cracking left footer on Saturday with a hattrick (14th, 32nd, 59th) of goals yesterday before Greatholder pulled him off late in the second half.
Robertson claimed two (44th, 52nd), the first memorable for a deft one-touch pass from teenager Ross Willox for Tom Biss to cross to the centreback for a toe-curling finish.
Saul Halpin (27th), Fergus Neil (71st) and Biss (89th) bagged a goal each while substitutes Angus Kilkolly (83rd), Ryan Tinsley (87th) and benched captain/centreback Danny Wilson (92nd), as striker, all left their calling cards.
Massey didn't drop their shoulders and even muscled in to dispossess a couple of Blues.
Player/coach Nicholas Daly found it difficult to convince his defenders to let him run on to the park but eventually stamped his authority in the 83rd to replace centreback James Gray.
No doubt, the jovial Bluewater Stadium faithful vociferously gave a grinning Daly all the encouragement as his players thwarted his signals.
"I got a bit of banter from the crowd. It was my first game of the season so I could have gone on the pitch in better circumstances but it was good to get out there and have a bit of a runaround," Daly said with a laugh.
The former Central League campaigners had had some upheaval in their ranks and dropped a few tiers but were now in the throes of rebuilding, working their way back into the Fed League.
"This is our first season back in the Chatham Cup so we're really excited about playing a team like Napier City but you can see the difference in leagues ...," Daly said, seeing it as a yardstick to what they needed to strive towards as a club.
