Hastings Valley Vikings to face Southern Cross Uni Marlins in final round of Mid North Coast rugby season

The ultimate prize was on the line and things were going to plan – then something went wrong.

Things are different this time around as the Vikings head towards yet another finals appearance, while the Marlins are planning Mad Monday.

The Marlins stole last year’s grand final courtesy of a 45-metre penalty goal.

It is a wound that has healed, but the scars remain.

Coach Dave Henry said the playing group and the prize on the line are different on Saturday, but the Vikings know they still have to win.

Collectively, last year’s grand final defeat hasn’t been spoken about although Henry knows individually the players are burning to right the wrongs of 12 months ago.

“It hurts because it’s important to them and they want to do better,” he said.

“The guys that remain … last year’s loss still hurts and that’ll hurt for a long time, but that’s footy.

“If it didn’t mean anything, it wouldn’t hurt although up to half of our playing group weren’t there in first grade last year.”

The Vikings hope Coffs Snappers can do them a favour on Saturday and knock off Grafton at Grafton.

Should the Vikings take care of Marlins, a grand final qualifier will be played at Oxley Oval, otherwise they will head to Grafton themselves.

Win that and the grand final venue returns to Port Macquarie.

“We’re a different footy team now to what we were this time last year,” Henry said.

“This team is a different football team in the way they play to what the club had last year.

“They probably all have the what if’s and all the rest of it, but that’s last year.”

The Vikings were looking forward to the challenge of appearing in yet another finals series. They have made eight of the last 10 season deciders.

“This is a brand new competition, a brand new finals series and there will be three other teams in the finals that all present challenges to us in different ways,” he said.

Henry expects Marlins to play an unstructured style of rugby and throw caution to the wind as they can’t make the finals.

“The dangerous thing is Marlins generally play an expansive style of footy and this week there’s nothing for them to lose,” he said.

“They’re out of finals contention so the danger is they challenge us in a different way – it’s not going to be an easy day out.”

Kick-off is at 3pm at Oxley Oval.