Newcastle Eagles go into Saturday night’s crucial clash with Caledonia Gladiators at the Vertu Arena knowing it is a must win game if they are to clinch a top four end of regular season placing. That would then give them a home quarter-final tie in the one-off play-off series.

Home advantage is much coveted by Newcastle but even if they manage to beat a tough Gladiators outfit, they are still reliant on results elsewhere to get them their desired reward. Essex Rebels can still pip them to the spot if they beat Manchester even if the Eagles win.

All that Head Coach Chloe Gaynor and her players can do is do their part with a win and then see where the ball lands elsewhere as Gaynor commenced her preview with her thoughts on the situation.

“The competitor in me sees every game as a must win. It would be nice to finish the season at home with a win. How much the result effects the standings remains to be seen, but regardless we’ll go out there trying to be better than what we were last week, which is always the aim.”

Last weekend’s 81-76 loss at Oaklands was largely a positive experience but ultimately a defeat and one that Gaynor felt showed what her team is capable of on both sides of the coin.

“There were plenty of positives. I thought we played a decent game for 33 minutes and then slipped back into some old habits down the stretch which ultimately cost us the game.”

“We need to learn from that moving forwards that we have to play 40 minutes of our basketball to be successful.”

Gaynor knows that Caledonia are a tough challenge. Eagles have played them twice this season and been beaten in both games. Heavily up in Caledonia in the League 115-70 and at home in the Trophy 67-74. That shows the measure of the task as Gaynor confirmed.

“We need to be aware of their personnel and tendencies. Obviously, we know Tierra (Hodges) very well, but she is not their only threat, so we need to make sure we’re locked in for the 40 mins.”

On thing in the Eagles favour is that they are at home in front of their loyal and dedicated fan base. They can expect another large crowd to cheer them on, and Gaynor is aware and appreciative of their support.

“It’s always great to play at home. I’ve said it for years now and I’ll continue to say that we have the best fans in the league. There is nothing like playing at the VA when it is packed. Our fans truly are the 6th eagle. I’d like to thank them for all of their support over the course of the season.”

Even if those fans cannot help Gaynor and her players get over the line they can still look back on what has been a good season for the Eagles if not remarkable given all the adversity, they have faced during it with the injuries and unavailability of a full roster.

Whatever happens on Saturday, Newcastle can still look forward to a play-off game whether at home or away that they are more than capable of winning given their performances this campaign. But before that it is Caledonia Gladiators in the Vertu Arena at 7:30pm on Saturday night.