Shute Shield rugby union, 2023: Wildfires X-factor gunning for Gordon in top-of-table battle

The power-packed outside back eyeballs his opposite and thinks: "I don't see him tackling me".

"I have always been like that. It sounds like I am on myself. I'm a natural try-scorer. I could be running out of our in-goal and will try to score. I am confident in my own ability. I just back myself."

It was the reason Wildfires coach Scott Coleman worked for 18 months to get Pohla to move north from Gordon.

A wrist injury in the pre-season and then an ankle problem have hindered Pohla's start to the campaign, but he still has two tries in the book and has been a constant threat.

On Saturday, Pohla lines up on the wing against his old club in a top-of-the-table clash at Chatswood Oval.

"It was a game I marked on my calendar early," the 24-year-old said. "It would be good to go into it injury-free, but you can't help those things. The ankle is good enough to play, but I'm still a little bit behind on certain movements and what I'm capable of."

Pohla played the first half in his return from the ankle issue in the shock 26-19 loss to Southern Districts last round.

"That was always the plan," Coleman said. "He is about 80 per cent, but he is good enough to have a crack. When he is on, he is on. He will start on the wing and we have a couple of different plays where the backs move around a bit to get him more involved.

"He has that X-factor. He is a little ball of muscle with a really good fend, which makes him hard to tackle."

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Pohla starred for Gordon last year as the Highlanders went all the way to the grand final, going down to Sydney University.

However, he lives in Gosford and was tired of the commute to and from Sydney for games and training.

Playing for the Wildfires, his travel time is cut in half. And he is enjoying his rugby even more.

"I couldn't be happier," he said. "It is such a good bunch of boys. I was so over the Sydney-side of traffic. You a have to allow 20 to 30 minutes extra either way.

"As soon as I came in for pre-season, I told people in the club, I'll be disappointed if we don't make the grand final with the crop of boys we have. We had a tough loss last week, but we are coming first for a reason. We have a good culture and everyone gets around each other.

"I have high expectations for us. It is still only early in the season, but I feel like we can keep tracking and the best is yet to come."

Gordon (30 points) are two points behind leaders the Wildfires. Both have notched six wins and two losses.

"I know Gordon well enough across the park," Pohla said. "Everything they are doing at the moment, we are doing better."