Pride is on the line for the struggling Reds and returning flanker Liam Gill says they will exploit whatever advantage they can to produce a final-round upset against the Waratahs in Brisbane.
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Whether that means peppering stand-in fullback Cam Crawford with high balls or using Queensland's set piece advantage to inject the likes of centre Samu Kerevi and wingers Lachie Turner and Rod Davies into the game, Gill said the Reds had to make a stand.
''A lot of pride's on the line for us. It's been a tough season on a lot of fronts, so just fighting for that little bit of pride we can salvage goes a long way,'' Gill said.
''[The Waratahs] have been very successful this year, even before the finals, so to just go out there and stake a claim that we still are a respectable team is on the line. That's what we're going out there to do.''
Gill returned to Ballymore this week after two weeks in camp with the Australian men's sevens squad in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.
The back-rower will play his 50th match for the Reds. He is the touch of class his side will need in spades if they are to topple this year's minor premiers at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.
The Waratahs arrived in Brisbane on Friday with their future certain, while the 2011 champions are fighting for credibility. Under fire from former players and fans this week, Gill said Michael Cheika's confidence that NSW can win without Israel Folau had added a degree of insult to injury.
''What the Waratahs will do by resting Izzy, I'm not sure, we haven't gone too much into that,'' he said.
''Not having Israel is a massive advantage for us. If that helps us in the game then that's something the team will look to expose.
''I'm not sure that we'll target Cam but we will look to target certain areas. Israel's unbelievable so, no disrespect to Cam, there might be a couple of kicks coming his way.''
The Reds have won just two games in the past nine rounds but Gill said there was nothing like a home game against the Waratahs to bring the best out of his teammates.
''It will take a lot [to win] but we've still got it and we've showed that in glimpses throughout the year, it just hasn't clicked,'' he said.
''It would be a fitting way to finish the year for us. We understand this is our last grasp at anything worth salvaging, so we understand now that this is where the season lies.''
