The university break has knocked the students around a bit with consecutive losses to Armidale and Guyra.

But with university back in term, they’re hoping to get back to the form that had them pushing for the minor premiership.

At the moment they are “marking time” coach Jim Boland said.

“We’ve got to stop doing that,” he said.

They have, in his assessment, gone back a few pegs if anything, while the other sides have improved.

The Ghosts showed that last week.

“Guyra played well,” he said.

“They’ll be a threat in the semis.”

“Our fellas didn’t help themselves with another 40 turnovers.”

They’ve been a real source of consternation for Boland and Sam Ditchfield.

“We had 31 phases (across the two halves) and only 11 positive results out of it,” Boland said.

When they were able to build the phases, they had success.

“We had a nine-phase that we scored a try, a seven-phase we scored a try, a five-phase we scored a try and four phases where we earned a penalty,” he said.

“We got no higher than three phases the rest of the game.”

It’s something they need to address before tomorrow.

Like the Ghosts and Blues, the Baa Baas control possession well, Boland said.

“We need to put some pressure defensively on their clean ball,” he said.

They’ve focused a lot on their counter-rucking and protecting the ball carrier, and spoken about “needing to maintain possession to run them down”.

“We’ve done a lot of work on the people who don’t have the ball doing the work,” he said.

He also spruiked the old adage that “you’ve got to win the middle before you can take advantage out wide.”

They got the points last time the two sides met but there was only 12 in it.

Baa Baas are also coming off a season-saving win over the Ghosts their last game.

In the other game the Ghosts will get a good gauge on how they’re travelling when they face competition leaders Armidale at Moran Oval.