EASTERN SUBURBS' loss to Randwick in the final round of the Shute Shield was one they needed to have if they are to earn a back-to-back shot at the Sydney club title, coach Scott Bowen said.
Not that Bowen would have been disappointed had Easts continued their unbeaten nine-game winning run. But had they not lost 34-17 to Randwick at Coogee Oval last week, he suspects they would have been ill-prepared - if not complacent - for Saturday's elimination semi-final against West Harbour at Western Weekender Stadium.
"It probably wasn't a bad thing. We had been cruising along pretty comfortably, especially in the last four or five weeks," Bowen said, referring to Easts' wins against Norths, Parramatta, Wests, Manly and Southern Districts.
"I got a feeling at training over that time there was an element of, 'We are going along quite well.' Maybe we are not as good as we thought we were, and unless we do the little things really well and continue to work hard then we can be just as average as any team.
"In some ways, it would have been great to keep that [winning] momentum going, but [the loss] was probably a unique opportunity to regroup and say these were the things that let us down last week, and … move forward."
Easts, who finished fourth in the home-and-away series, will be boosted for the game against fifth-placed Wests with the return of hooker Saia Faingaa and flanker Tim McGann, who were rested last week.
Bowen said they were "50-50" to play last week despite niggling injuries from round 21, but "at the end of the day we decided this week was probably more important [to play them]" when they would be 100 per cent.
Bowen was also happy that Wallabies back Timana Tahu was not named in West Harbour's line-up.
Easts thrashed West Harbour 62-25 at Concord Oval when they last met in round 19, but Bowen has not forgotten how Tahu "had some very good touches with the ball and caused us all sorts of problems".
As Easts face the finals, the memory of losing in the grand final against Sydney University is vivid - but one Bowen believes will be help their campaign. "We would love to get another shot at a grand final. But there are a couple of hurdles first," he said.
