The Blacks will enter the finals series in a do-or-die situation, after going down 23-10 to Easts at Hexham Oval on Saturday.

An injury and absentee-ridden Blacks camp were forced to field an unfamiliar backline against the third-placed Easts. With the omission of under-18s five-eighth Jack Howard due to an ankle injury, fullback Jono O’Toole went into playmaker.

Centre’s Sam Ralph and Mark Cunningham were also unavailable forcing Colts player Marc Grayson into the first grade side to complete the new combinations.

The new-look backs could not hold out the Easts attack, nor were they effective with the ball in hand.

“Our backs just didn’t fire at all,” Blacks coach Steve Scobie said.

“We mixed a few people up. Jono tried very hard at five-eighth but he has a lot of work to do there yet, it was the first time he had played there in first grade.”

The Blacks crossed the Easts line twice to equal the try count, but it was the boot that proved the difference for Easts.

“We just gave away too many penalties, we handed them nine points in penalties, that was the real difference,” Scobie said.

“We both scored two tries, it was just the kicking that separated us.

“Nothing really went our way actually.”

The Blacks defence rightly did not escape criticism from their coach either.

“We just didn’t defend up to standard, it was really very poor.”

The Blacks needed to beat Easts to assure themselves third place on the competition ladder and a spot in the qualifying final next week.

Instead the Blacks slipped to fifth on the final 2008 points tally and will fight for survival against University, who finished fourth.

However the Blacks will get the home ground advantage in their elimination match next week, with the first round of semi-finals to be held at Marcellin Park on Saturday and Sunday.

In other final round results of the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby Union on Saturday University thrashed Lake Macquarie 62-7, Waratah beat Nelson Bat 32-5, Southern Beaches almost upset Singleton, going down 22-17, Wanderers were flogged by Hamilton 107-7 and Merewether Carlton had the bye.

Hamilton took out the minor premiership with their win over Wanderers and will enjoy a week off next week.

Merewether and Easts will fight it out in the qualifying semi-final to see who meets the Hawks in the final.