We’re just one game from the grand final, but that doesn’t mean a new game plan.

Rugby league is rugby league. The game doesn’t change just because you are deep into the finals. Yes, it is more intense and you have to play harder for longer. But the formula that wins the big games doesn’t change.

Control the footy and complete your sets. Do that and you will go a long way to winning any game, whether it’s round one or finals footy.

And, of course the big focus is on defence. That’s probably the only slight change for me, is to really focus on my defence. It may sound silly, but winning these games now doesn’t come down to scoring points.

At Melbourne we always back ourselves to score points – doesn’t matter whether it’s early in the first half or the last 10 minutes of the game. But defence, that is what wins games at this time of the year.

Also, I have never been a player who gets too concerned on game day with a list of things that I have to tick before I play. Maybe that’s just a case of being young, but I do notice some of the older players have their routines that they religiously stick to.

It obviously works for them because they have been in the game a long time and are very successful. But me, I just make sure I turn up with a good mentality, whack my boots on and just rip in. I just love playing footy.

I love the physical clashes and ripping in with the boys.

So, I guess, the only thing that I make sure is part of my game day preparation, is to be tuned in mentally when I am in the dressing sheds and that I am ready to go and ready to get stuck in.

I also haven’t noticed any changes within the other players at the Storm. That’s another big positive to this club – the leadership group. We have great leaders.

So, it’s not a case of ‘OK, it’s finals time, we better lift the tempo’. All season, and pre-season, they are the ones who lead by example, who treat every session as though it is the last one.

When it comes to September, they don’t suddenly flick a switch or start talking louder or with more intensity. They flicked that switch a long time ago and showed everyone how high the bar is from the get-go.

We have known all season that it is the little things that win games. You do the little things right and that is what matters.

We all know that when you don’t do the little things properly; if you slacken off in some areas, well that will come back and sting you in the big games.

We all know what job we have to do, and as individuals we just have to keep working hard on doing that better.

That means that this Friday night against the Sharks, that is all we can be focused on. Not the week after or even the day after.

It’s an old adage, but you can only take it one game at a time.

If you know you have worked hard all season; done the little things right, then you can afford to go into these games with confidence because we are playing good footy and everyone is doing their job properly.

The week off has been a positive for us. Certainly no holiday. Just a chance to work on every little detail, so that come Friday night we are firing and ready to fly out of the starting boxes.

Having been part of last year’s side that went all the way has given me a lot of confidence this season.

You know what it takes and what is important. It gives you the confidence to back yourself a bit more and to try to do a bit more for the team.