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Picture this:

You’re a professional rugby league player in the NRL.

Your beloved hometown team is about to play in their first finals match since 2018, following a nail-biting regular season in which they pulled out several nailbiting, backs-to-the-wall wins under pressure.

The team’s humility and character has resonated with the fans: a massive groundswell of support has formed around you, the supporters BELIEVE, they are lifting you up by your bootstraps week-in, week-out. Politicians are shouting your catch-cry in the middle of parliament; the energy around the side is palpable.

But you can’t get swept up by all the hype. You MUST stay focussed, keep your eye on the prize.

What do you do in the days leading up to the match?

Well, if you’re Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad … you garden.

“Me and my wife really enjoy gardening”, he tells Stuff’s daily podcast Newsable.

“Yeah, it’s crack-up – I didn’t think I’d enjoy gardening, but I really do enjoy that.”

It’s the embodiment of compartmentalisation – a skill that Nicoll-Klokstad says is crucial to functioning as both a top-tier athlete, and a human being.

“You’ve gotta have a balance. It’s an art. I’ve had really good leaders over the years help me develop the mindset of being able to switch on and switch off – that’s a big part of rugby league, being able to switch on when you need to, and being able to switch off when you need to as well.

“But it does creep in here and there, thinking about the games – it’s just part of being a professional athlete, you’re going to choose different ways of doing things because we’ve got a big game this weekend – you might not have that chocolate after the game (for example).”

And what sort of chocolate is he giving up?

“Probably the Cadbury mint chocolate”, he says with a laugh.

“Love the mint chocolate! One of my best mates overseas used to say it’s like brushing your teeth and having chocolate – I don’t know if everybody else’s opinion’s the same!”

The Warriors’ fourth-place finish means they have a lifeline heading into the playoffs: if the team wins against the Panthers in Penrith tomorrow night, they’ll get a week off before playing in the preliminary final for a spot in the grand final.

But, if they lose, they’ll get another chance to secure a spot in that preliminary final with a do-or-die playoff next weekend.

The team ended the regular season with a loss – albeit with a much-changed lineup – and Niccol-Klokstad says that sour note will give them more motivation tomorrow against the Panthers, who finished on top of the NRL regular season table.

“It was very frustrating having to watch on the weekend. I know the boys that have played will want to be better this weekend and we know it’s a really good opportunity to go up against a club that’s been the form team of the competition for a few years now.

“You’re gonna have to play the best team eventually, so why not play them first?”

On the subject of the unprecedented support for the team, Niccol-Klokstad briefly appears lost for words.

“It’s been crazy”, he says.

“I think it’s given us a really good preparation for the finals, because finals footy is really full-on with the crowds … we’ve been put under pressure a lot of times this year and having the crowd backing you, cheering you on, the chants … it’s been amazing.”

What else is there to say?

Up the Wahs!

Newsable is Stuff’s daily news podcast, wrapping up what’s worth talking about in a short package every weekday morning. You can find new episodes and more detail on our stories here or in our newsletter. Make sure to like and follow us wherever you get your podcasts and across Instagram and TikTok.