Wests back Brodie Leber will put his international sevens ambitions on hold to chase John I Dent Cup premiership glory if the Lions survive a preliminary final battle on Saturday.
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But Australian coach Andy Friend is keeping a close eye on the 20-year-old as he prepares to make a decision on whether to launch his sevens career or chase a Super Rugby deal.
Wests will be fighting to keep their title hopes alive when they play against the Tuggeranong Vikings at Viking Park in the penultimate game of the season.
A win will force Leber to choose between a sevens tournament in Mackay or chasing Wests' first premiership in more than a decade.
"The sevens have said to me to stay here if we make it through to the grand final," Leber said.
"It's a pretty hard choice because you don't get too many opportunities, so it's good that they've said to keep focused on trying to make the grand final.
"I'll definitely have to pick 15s or sevens in the future and it looks like I'm suited to sevens maybe a bit more. But we'll see what the future holds."
Wests transformed Leber from an openside flanker into an outside centre this year to try to squeeze talent into their back row.
Leber is still adjusting to life in the back line, but will revert to his preferred position when he's named in the Canberra Vikings squad on Monday for the National Rugby Championship.
His versatility makes him the perfect candidate to join Friend's sevens squads for tournaments around the world and a chance to play at the Olympic Games in 2020.
Leber knows sevens can be his launching pad, using Tom Cusack's journey from the Olympics to a Brumbies contract as inspiration for juggling a double rugby career.
"Everyone's helping me learn in the back line, and they say outside centre is the hardest to learn," Leber said.
"I've been caught out a few times in the wrong position by doing things I'd usually do as a back-rower. I've enjoyed doing something different as well though and our back row is pretty competitive.
"So I'll do anything I can to play and the transition back to flanker will be easy because that's what I've played my whole life."
The Wests-Tuggeranong clash will be a re-match of the 2011 and 2012 grand finals and Wests can get redemption as they aim to end a remarkable Vikings run.
The Vikings have played in every grand final since 2009 and missed just three grand finals since 1993.
But they are in danger of having their premiership hopes by a rampaging Wests side, which beat the Vikings 35-31 less than a month ago.
Vikings skipper Andrew Robinson said Tuggeranong was prepared to fight to stay in the title race, with the winner advancing to a grand final against the undefeated Royals.
"We do have a target on us and teams get up to play us, but we're ready for that and we know Wests are a threat," Robinson said.
"We've been talking a lot this week about the belief we can win tight games, you need that in finals.
"We've learnt that sometimes the margin is too big to bring back in a short time, Wests are hungry and they'll really want this. We can't drop off for any moment this week."
JOHN I DENT CUP PRELIMINARY FINAL
Saturday: Tuggeranong Vikings v Wests at Viking Park, 3.15pm.
