NEWPORT head coach Craig Warlow has admitted that the subject of the Principality Premiership play-offs will not be on the agenda when he gives his pre-match team talk ahead of tomorrow’s final league fixture of the regular season against Llanelli at Rodney Parade (2.30pm).

The Black and Ambers are still in with a chance of claiming third place behind Pontypridd and Llandovery, but it would take a freak set of results for them to squeeze in at the expense of Ebbw Vale, Aberavon or Cross Keys.

Newport currently sit fifth, one point behind fourth-placed Aberavon and two adrift of Ebbw, who occupy third, the final play-off berth – the Steelmen entertain the Wizards on Sunday.

Warlow’s men must beat his former team with a bonus point, hope Ebbw and Aberavon draw without the hosts scoring four tries, and cross their fingers that Keys accumulate no more than eight points from their two remaining games.

However, four defeats on the spin appears to have ended Newport’s chances of silverware this term, and Warlow is keen to start looking towards the next campaign.

“The last four games have been so disappointing,” he said. “We put ourselves in a position to really do something that we could remember for a long time but we’ve probably missed our opportunity if I’m honest.

“If you’d asked me before the season what I would have liked us to do then I would have said putting structures in place behind the scenes, and we’ve managed to do that.

“It’s just been difficult getting that extra five per cent out of the boys. Top teams like Llandovery and Pontypridd seem to find a way to do that.

“We’ve got to find a reason why in such big games we’ve probably played our worst rugby of the season. It is as much mental as it is physical.”

Asked if his team, which finished bottom of the pile in 2015, could force their way into the play-off reckoning, he added: “It definitely won’t form part of my pre-match team talk, but then it hasn’t really been the case for the last four games either.

“My focus for Saturday just has to be on our performance, whatever happens elsewhere, happens.

“It’s our last game of the season in front of our supporters and we want to send them home happy.”

Prop John Lavender rolled his ankle before Tuesday’s defeat by Pontypridd and will be assessed before Warlow selects his starting line-up.