NEWPORT are aiming to nail down third spot in the table when they head west to tackle Carmarthen Quins tonight.

The Black and Ambers need a point to secure third and with it an opening play-off clash in Swansea rather than Neath.

But Newport, like many clubs, will be pushed to the limit by the time the ill-thought out play-offs begin.

Teams are already running on empty yet they are going to be forced to keep on playing for more weeks in a tournament that few, if any, want.

Neath have already been crowned Premiership champions but the top eight must continue to flog their squads.

Clubs have been playing with rafts of players on permit for weeks but could potentially be in action on May 22, something that will in turn impact pre-season plans for the 2010-11 campaign.

Nonetheless, Newport are concentrating on holding off the challenge of Llanelli and seal third place in the table.

“We need a point and the best way to do that is to get the win,” said head coach Sven Cronk.

“We are down to the bare bones and it is almost a game too far, but we want to nail down that third spot.”

The Quins cannot move up from their ninth place in the table nor can they slip down but they are sure to be in high spirits after their weekend Swalec Cup semi-final win over Pontypridd.

Meanwhile, Newport will need their finishing to improve dramatically after they blew chances galore at Pontypool last time out to slip to a 20-15 defeat.

“It could have been a big win for us but some of the players seemed to have their own agenda rather than playing for the team like they normally would,” said Cronk.

“But in fairness Pontypool were also hungry in defence because of their situation at the bottom and stopped tries that others might not have.”

Lock Adam Brown’s season is over after he had surgery on an ankle. With Adam Frampton and Alex Jones also sidelined, the Black and Ambers are down to their last two second rows – Dafydd Rosser and Mark Workman.

Newport: G Wyatt, A Awcock, A Hughes, S Williams, M Poole, L Robling, A Walker, D Pattison, A Brown, G Robinson, D Rosser, M Workman, S Waldron, P Williams, D McShane. Replacements: D Way, L Hunter, R Dale, A Quick, C Wannell, P Leach, AN Other.