Closing in on missing link to a finals run

SUNS leader Matt Rosa says Gold Coast is starting to find the consistency that has been missing throughout the club’s existence ahead of the biggest test of their season.

Rosa labelled Sydney, who have won seven of their past eight games, the best team in the AFL right now as the Suns prepare to head south to play the Swans this Saturday.

“It probably is our biggest challenge this year with the footy they have been playing,” Rosa said.

“Their last seven weeks is probably the best in the competition and we know what they did last year when they made the grand final.

“They have got some great experience in their side.

The boys are really just looking forward to the challenge to take it up to a really good team and hopefully we bring that four quarter consistency that we have been striving for this week.

“(Sydney) are in fantastic form. They are a hard and tough side so we are going to have to be at our best to match it with them.”

The fluctuating performances of the Suns from week to week, sometimes between quarters, has hampered their run towards a potential maiden finals appearance and left them at 6-8 after 15 rounds.

But Rosa said Gold Coast’s 19-point win over North Melbourne convinced him that they were beginning to solve their biggest problem.

“We are starting to reach that level of consistency that we are looking for,” Rosa said.

“We dropped away a little bit in the third quarter but overall I think there was great effort and it was pleasing to get the result.”

Rosa said the team’s consistency was directly linked to weekly preparation and put the onus on the side to leave no stone unturned as they look to surge to an unlikely finals gig.

“The wins will take care of themselves if you prepare well,” Rosa said.