The Tuggeranong Bushrangers are 80 minutes away from lifting the Canberra Raiders Cup for the first time in the club's 20-year history - but prop Zac Saddler is adamant the outside noise won't breach their change room walls.
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The Queanbeyan Kangaroos arrived at Freebody Oval as heavy favourites before the Bushrangers handed the minor premiers their second loss of the season in an 18-13 boilover on Sunday.
The Bushrangers' major semi-final victory means they have booked their place in the grand final at Seiffert Oval on September 17, while the Kangaroos will now scrap for a spot in the decider against the Belconnen United Sharks this weekend.
Tuggeranong is still chasing its maiden first grade premiership under the Bushrangers banner after the joint venture was formed in 2003, while the Kangaroos are looking for their first title in a decade.
The Bushrangers are the only team to have beaten the Kangaroos all year - first in an 18-17 win a month ago and now by five points in an epic finals clash.
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"We're obviously one game further than last year, but last year the excitement of it all - making the finals and having a fairly decent side - I think it got to a few blokes within the side," Saddler said.
"Even within the supporters, there was probably a bit of over-excitement because they hadn't been in that position for a while. We're just brushing that off this year, there's a lot of noise outside the club.
"We haven't won a first grade comp in the 20 years they've been around, so obviously there are people who are excited, but within the playing group, we're not getting too far ahead of ourselves.
"We know in two weeks it will be another big challenge, whether that's the Sharks or the Roos, it won't really matter. We'll just get to training and keep working on the shit we need to."
A Harry Quinlan double put the Kangaroos ahead before a Williams field goal gave the hosts a crucial seven-point buffer heading into the half-time break.
But Titan Sega - who may well boast the best name in the competition - charged over shortly after the break as the Bushrangers slashed the margin to one point.
The Kangaroos soon found themselves behind on the scoreboard when Bradley Buckley burrowed over from dummy half to put Tuggeranong ahead.
Queanbeyan will be left to rue a controversial double movement call which denied Adam Barlow a try when momentum had carried him over the line in the dying minutes.
Perhaps the rugby league gods were at play given Tuggeranong fullback Jack Heyman had just been denied a try by a questionable obstruction call.
"It's good to get the week off, we've got a few busted fellas," Saddler said.
"We've had a couple of draws but we haven't been beaten since round nine, that's just building each week. We haven't been at our best for a lot of those weeks but we've been getting better than the week before and that's all we're working towards.
"Hopefully we can pull it out in two weeks and be at our best because I still don't think we've had probably our full side on. We'll just keep building."
AT A GLANCE
Canberra Raiders Cup major semi-final: TUGGERANONG BUSHRANGERS 18 (Jack Davison, Titan Sega, Bradley Buckley tries; Liam Oakley 3 goals) bt QUEANBEYAN KANGAROOS 13 (Harry Quinlan 2 tries; Sam Williams 2 goals; Williams field goal) at Freebody Oval.
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Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
