Maitland Blacks beat Wanderers 27-22 in memorable win at No.2 Sportsground

Beating perennial power Wanderers has been difficult enough, but at their home ground has been akin to mission impossible for the Blacks in recent years.

But doing it a man down for 20 minutes, with two players yellow carded at different stages, it was a special performance which keeps them on track for a top two finish.

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Led by a Pat Batey double and outstanding performances by front-rower Justis Gerrard and back-rower Pat Robards in his first game back in rugby union after two years playing league the Blacks go into the run home to the finals full of belief.

The Blacks now sit third on 27 points from eight games, five points clear of Wanderers who have played seven games. Merewether is first on 39 points from 10 games, while Hamilton have 37 points from nine games.

"We've got all the ingredient to have a crack at winning this and anything short of that will be extremely disappointing. There is a real pressure from within the group to succeed and that's driving our results," Blacks coach Luke Cunningham said of the team's desire to end a 23-year premiership drought.

Cunningham said the next three weeks with games against University, Hamilton and Nelson Bay will be critical in deciding whether they can secure a top-two finish.

"We've got University this weekend coming. They have done a fair bit of recruitment in the last three or four weeks and could potentially push for a finals spot.

"That will be a tough game and then we have Hamilton at home, who are very strong, and then we have Nelson Bay who have also attracted a few of the Hunter Wildfires players back out to the Bay for the remainder of the season.

"They rolled Merewether on Saturday, so three tough games, but if we can keep winning it puts us in a really good position to have a crack at finishing in the top two."

Cunningham said his tightknit group of players close bond enabled them to keep on meeting challenges and succeeding.

"Wanderers have been one of the top teams for the last 10 years and to beat them down there at their home ground was a really big mental hurdle to overcome," he aid.

"We did it with a player in the sinbin for 20 minutes, we had two guys sent off a different times of the game for 10 minutes each. For 20 minutes we were down a man and that's a huge pat on the back for our blokes and their ability to cover in defence and that space those yellow cards left.

"I had spoken to a few people at the start of the year is that the bond and vibe within the playing group is probably stronger than I've ever seen, even when I was playing.

"They are all extremely tight mates off the field as well. Mentally that puts guys in a mindset that they are willing to roll up their sleeves and go that extra yard for their mate as opposed to just a teammate.

"There's still plenty we can improve and we probably left a couple of tries out on the field yesterday and let a couple in that we should have stopped a few phases earlier, but still be able to remain in the game and have a few things go against you is a good indication that we are on the right track."

In the absence of regular flyhalf Hare Meihana, Ryan McCormack had returned to first grade and has been excellent at five-eighth enabling Batey to continue at fullback where he has been such a success this year.

"Pat scored two tries, they were probably opportunistic, but he still worked hard to put himself in that position and place where he can turn something against the run of play," he said.

"Ryan McCormack has been a steadying influence over the past two games in the absence of regular flyhalf Hare Meihana, who has had an injured shoulder.

"He has played really well. Ryan's ability to control a team and a game plan is really, really good. Physically he may have slowed up from six years ago, but mentally he is still a very good player.

"With the forward pack and the outside backs we have, we just need a five-eighth who can keep players on the same page and Ryan has been doing that the last two games."