Seagulls hoping to fly into Newcastle RL finals

The Seagulls make the trip to Tomaree Sports Ground for a 5pm clash with the ninth-placed Hawks.

Bourke's side have risen to sixth after big wins in recent weeks and sit five points behind fifth-placed Central.

Aside from Northern, in their six remaining games, Lakes face Central twice, both home and away, and also meet Cessnock (home), Maitland (home) and Wests (away) in the final round.

But after an 82-6 win over Macquarie last week, which followed a 62-10 victory over Kurri Kurri three weeks earlier, the Seagulls are building nicely and loom as a darkhorse for the play-offs.

"I didn't expect that sort of scoreline, and you want to be humble in victory because it's not good to beat any team like that. It's not healthy for the comp, nor Macquarie," Bourke said on Friday.

"But it did click for us, as it did against Kurri. Looking forward, we need to be better against the top-five teams.

"It's a big game for us tomorrow. The Northern Hawks are celebrating Indigenous round, and we know the Indigenous influence in their team ... and it's always tough up at Tomaree, especially at five o'clock. We just need to continue that consistency ... There's hope there, definitely some hope."

Lakes will field the same side that beat Macquarie and Bourke was relishing having a consistent line-up.

"It's the first time in about three years we've had the same team for two weeks, so it's good," he said.

Central have an important game themselves on Sunday, hosting The Entrance in a fifth-against-fourth clash from 3.15pm at St John Oval.

Wests, who are seventh but equal on points with Lakes, will also be hoping to keep touch with the top five with a win over Cessnock when they meet at Harker Oval from 3pm on Sunday.

At 3pm on Saturday, Souths are away to Kurri Kurri and an injured-depleted Maitland host Macquarie.