Added pressure for Dan Malesela as wife ‘demands’ win before her birthday present, plus it’s the club president’s special day too

Sunday is club president, Tim Sukazi’s birthday, and on Tuesday it is Malesela’s wife’s big day too.

“Our home games – I’m not saying th other games are not – are very crucial. Being home puts a lot of pressure on us but it is the kind of pressure we accept. We have to work hard this weekend so we can get the full points. We don’t want to start falling behind too much (in the Premiership race),” says Malesela.

Asked about the game falling on the same day as Sukazi’s birthday, Malesela said he had tried to play it down but he knows it will get to the players to want to impress.

“That puts more pressure.,” he says. “I don’t want to say anything to the players about it but I feel you just can’t avoid it bcuase you don’t want them to be overburdened.

“But there is pressure for me too because my wife’s birthday is on Tuesday and she said ‘before you guys think about a present to give me, you must start winning’,” says the former Chippa United mentor.

Malesela said Stellies will bring their A-game as they come from a big defeat and will want to make amends and get back on track.

“Fortunately and unfortunately for both us and them… for us, we have to win this one to cut back on the number of draws. For them, they just came from a 3-0 loss, so we are both looking at getting points in this game,” he says.