The Eagles raced in six tries to jag a bonus-point win and sew up third spot on the ladder to book a minor semi-final at home against the Platypi in two weeks, after the competition enjoys a general bye before the finals kick-off on August 11.

Halfback Troy Jeffs was tremendous at the base of the scrum, his two tries contributing to an impressive individual points haul of 26 at Grinsted Oval.

Outside backs Kali Nacina and Pate Beramaosur were electric, too, the latter scoring a double as the Eagles ran riot early in the second half to race to a match-winning 36-12 advantage with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Minor premiers Orange Emus and, arguably the form side of the competition, Bathurst Bulldogs face-off in the major semi-final and get that second bite of the cherry in the finals thanks to their impressive home-and-away season records but Miller says reputations count for little at the business end of the season.

Cowra proved that on Saturday, running roughshod over Forbes in front of a bumper Grinsted Oval crowd on the club’s old boys’ day.

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“We definitely do have that belief, especially with Forbes having beaten a couple of top teams,” Miller said.

“We can mix it with the best of them. You have to beat everyone in the finals to be the best and today’s effort goes a long way for us.

“It’s pleasing for our boys to get a win up heading into the semi-finals.

“To come here in front of their old boys, play the way we did … it’s an extremely gutsy win on our behalf.”

Cowra opened the scoring through Jacob McNaught, the towering red-head on the end of a some slashing lead-up work from Nacina.

Forbes hit back soon after via Josh Coulthurst and a successful conversion from the right boot of Simon Uphill gave the hosts the lead, albeit fleetingly.

Big Joe Dakuitoga bumped his way over for a try off a well-worked line-out move and when Miller put Beramaosur over under the sticks the visitors accelerated their lead to 19-7.

Despite the relative ease with which both of those Eagles tries were scored, Forbes refused to go away – they were dogged all match.

And when Dakuitoga’s discipline went awry near half-time, the piggy-back penalty the enigmatic Eagles prop gifted Forbes was enough to allow Jarrod Hall to barge his way over and give the hosts all the momentum leading into the break.

It wasn’t Forbes’ day, though.

Three tries, two of them to Jeffs, in the space of 13 minutes just after oranges rocketed Cowra to that 36-12 advantage, and despite Forbes’ best efforts to get back in the game late – they picked up a bonus point when Kyle Sharpe barged over in the 65^th minute – it was never enough as the Eagles closed out the emphatic final round triumph in style.

“They kept coming,” Miller said.

“We knew once we got a bit of a lead up if we were in the same position we’d be running the ball a lot, and that’s what they did and to their credit they did it extremely well.

“But Troy directed the forwards around really well and that gave us the platform we needed.

“And the Fijians are used to one-tackle style of football, if we can get the space for them they can do their stuff.

“We executed well, two or three up the middle and then spread it wide. We did that well, we had a lot of tries on the edges.”

Tries Miller had his finger prints all over, too.

The NSW Country second-rower put his fullback over in the first half and then again had a hand in one of Cowra’s second-half five-pointers, sending Elliot Brice down the left edge before the flying winger linked up with Tom Dewhurst for a great try finished off by Jeffs.

“I pin the ears back for about five metres and then go looking for support,” Miller laughed.

“But the pleasing thing is there was always support to throw it to.

“There’s plenty of boys backing up, and that’s great for us.”