NELSON Bay coach Michael Wiringi knows that at their best, the Gropers can match it with any team in Hunter Rugby.
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Maintaining that level has been the issue.
An emotion-charged Nelson Bay came from 14-7 down to stun Maitland 21-14 at Mercellin Park on Saturday and breathe life into their faint play-off hopes.
The win, which secured the inaugural Dempsey Gascoigne Cup, moved the Gropers to 34 points, five points behind fourth-placed Maitland and six adrift of Wanderers.
Nelson Bay are home to Wanderers next round and complete the regular season away to Hamilton.
To move into the top four, the Gropers need to win both and hope that either Maitland or Wanderers slump.
The Blacks complete the season away to Southern Beaches and Merewether.
Wanderers, after travelling to Strong Oval, are home to Southern Beaches.
"We know the level we can play at," Wiringi said. "We just have to find that consistency. All we can do is concentrate on getting two wins and whatever happens, happens.
"We have been a bit of a roller coaster. With us, we have an emotionally-charged squad."
Dempsey Gascoigne, 21, died in an accident in Canberra last month. He was a Gropers junior and the son of Jason Gascoigne, who coached Nelson Bay's second grade side last season and was previously heavily involved at the Blacks.
"The week we beat Merewether was the weekend we found out about Dempsey and we just wanted to play for Jason," Wiringi said.
It was a similarly charged Gropers outfit on Saturday.
Down 14-7 at the break, the Bay drew level through a converted try to Adam Rayner before Fielder scored late to snatch the win.
"We stayed close enough to them and we had a couple of young debutants Sam Mitchell and Will Clarke on the wing who stood up," Wiringi said. "At the end, they created an opportunity for Charlie to come through the middle and score the try."
At Bernie Curran Oval, Merewether were out-bustled and out-enthused for much of the game but hung on to beat University 25-19 and take hold of the Hawthorne Cup.
University trailed 20-13 early in the second half, but rallied to close within a point at 20-19.
The turning point came 10 minutes from full-time. University replacement breakaway Sapati Peniata was held up over the tryline.
Merewether fly-half Sam Bright sent a drop out to halfway. The Greens forced a turnover at the tackle, then earned a penalty and two phases later scored down the short side.
University weren't done and threw everything at Merewether in a frenetic final 10 minutes which included four yellow cards and a red to Michael Dan.
"That was hectic," Merewether coach Jamie Lind said. "Credit to Uni, they were great. We need to be better decision makers and control the game a bit better. We got a little rattled."
Hunter Wildfires first-grade tighthead prop Nick Dodson and colts captain Matt Baggs played the final 20 minutes off the bench but are ineligible to play finals.
"They can't play semis, but they have been training with us all year," Lind said. "They are a part of our club as far as we are concerned."
University coach Sam Berry was proud of the effort by the Students.
"Again, our execution let us down," he said. "We have to get that winning culture into the club. That is teams placed first and fourth we have played in the past few days and we have been in a position to win both but just couldn't get there.
"We have lots to work on in the off-season. Hopefully we are challenging these top teams again.
"We have taken a few steps, in the second round in particular."
At No.2 Sportsground, fullback George Ashworth and centre Billy Coffey scored doubles as Wanderers overpowered Singleton 60-10.