Steelform Wanganui co-coaches Jason Caskey and Jason Hamlin are reluctant to tamper too much with game plans for the must-win Heartland home match with North Otago on Saturday.
While there still may be mathematical chances to make the Meads Cup top four, a win with a bonus point would put them in the frame.
Hamlin put the woes of recent weeks down to trying to play dry track rugby on sodden grounds and both he and Caskey were looking forward to a fine weekend and drying Cooks Gardens surface.
But with five playmakers out through injury scoring four tries minimum and taking a win would not be easy against an in-form North Otago who is fourth in the standings with 24 points. Wanganui is fifth on 22 points.
Missing from the Steelform line-up is lock Sokonaia Kalou with an injured knee, flanker Angus Middleton, winger Jona Sawailau, both with knee problems and second five Timoci Seruwalu with a hand injury.