WANDERERS coach Dan Beckett believes it is vital that the Two Blues take the emotion out as they prepare for a grand final showdown with fierce rivals Hamilton.
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Wanderers powered past Maitland 50-28 in the preliminary final at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday to book a date with the Hawks.
Runaway minor premiers, Hamilton have beaten Wanderers in the past two outings and in three straight grand finals from 2015. The Hawks beat Maitland in last year's decider.
"We have to take the emotion out of it," said Beckett, who guided the Two Blues to a premiership in his maiden year in charge in 2009 and returned to the role this season after a seven-year break. "It's a game of footy with a great prize. Wishing it and wanting it doesn't win it. You have to make your tackles and you have to execute. We know that Hamilton will try and suffocate us and strangle us next week. It is another week of footy and we have to make sure our preparation is spot on."
Wanderers put the distraction of losing captain Ben Ham to a controversial suspension for two yellow cards aside, to out-enthuse and out-play the Blacks.
"It was one of the toughest weeks ever across the whole club - everyone hurting, lots of head noise," Beckett said. "It showed how this group is.They keep working for each other. It's over now, we have to work towards next week."
Chase Hicks, playing opposite former teammate at The Waratahs Carl Manu, scored three of Wanderers' seven tries and was a handful every time he touched the ball.
"Manu hit him with one of the biggest hits I have ever seen," Beckett said. "I love those moment. It was the old bull versus the young bull. For him to shake it off and not lose his swagger was awesome."
Prop Alex Reid wasn't far behind Hicks and the back-row of Sam Schmidt, Jack Johnson Holmes and Piers Morrell didn't stop.
"Alex was amazing," Beckett said. "Hammy was out and he put his hand up to be a ball runner in the middle of the field from lineouts. He didn't take a backward step."
Wanderers led 7-0 after seven minutes and took control when the Blacks lost Dale Clacherty (high tackle) and Dan Runchel (professional foul) to the sin bin in quick succession.
Wanderers made the most of the advantage and ran in three tries in eight minutes.
Hicks spun out of a Carl Manu tackle to touch down in the 24th minute, Qio crossed for his second try in the 29th and Tim Marsh finished a 60-metre effort in the 30th as the lead ballooned to 28-0 lead.
"As we were starting to get our tempo, coincided with them having two men down," Beckett said. "Even if we didn't score points, we knew they would be pretty gassed because we were playing helter skelter footy."
Maitland, after trailing 35-7 early in the second half, cut the gap to 40-28 with 14 minutes remaining.
But Wanderers lifted again. Luke Simmons landed a penalty goal to knock the wind out of the Blacks before Hicks iced the victory with his third try.
