Gold Coast coach Cameron Joyce has a simple message for his players – keep your eyes on the prize.
Despite last weekend's QClash loss to Brisbane, the SUNS are in a strong position to play finals with their 4-3 record ahead of Saturday's trip to Alberton to face Yartapuulti.
Following that they have a home match against one-win Greater Western Sydney and a final round stoush with Essendon in Mackay.
On paper it's a good draw, but Joyce says he doesn't care about perceptions.
"We can't afford a mistake, but we want to win every game," he said on Thursday afternoon.
"Nothing changes from that.
"We want to win this week, next week and the week after. We wanted to win the last three. Nothing changes from that.
"If we start to look further ahead than this week, we'll run into trouble, there's no doubt.
"If we don't go with the right attitude and we don't prepare well, we'll get beaten. It's pretty simple."
Joyce said the 36-point loss to Brisbane showed there was still a gap to the absolute elite teams, but one they could close.
Gold Coast has not lost successive games in the past two seasons and the coach expects a strong response against Lauren Arnell's outfit.
"The big over-riding thing from the group at the moment is they're just really keen to bounce back from last week.
"When we've been beaten, we're a team that responds.
"History tells us in the last two-and-a-half seasons that's what we've done more often than not.
"I said to the girls, that's the expectation this weekend, that we respond.
"The reality is the ball’s in our court for the rest of the year, which is great."
