Western Force coach Dave Wessels admits his players are still rattled by the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the franchise's future, but says they are holding up well during the crisis.
Either the Force or Rebels will be axed before next season, and the two franchises aren't allowed to re-sign any of their non-Wallaby players until the ARU decides which side to cut.
The Force have defied a horror injury toll and the off-field drama to put in a series of gutsy performances recently.
A bumper crowd of 14,089 turned up for last week's 16-7 loss to the Chiefs, and the Force are hopeful supporters will again come out in big numbers for Saturday night's clash with the high-flying Lions at nib Stadium.
"Obviously we're a bit rattled by everything. Just the uncertainty of not knowing where everybody's at," Wessels said about the off-field drama.
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"But a real credit to them - you can see a team that's really fighting. They recognise our contribution to the debate is on the field, and they're doing everything they can to make that contribution."
Dane Haylett-Petty (hamstring), Luke Morahan (fractured cheekbone), Ben McCalman (shoulder), Adam Coleman (calf) and Ryan Louwrens (knee) are among the Force's walking wounded.
Haylett-Petty is expected to miss six weeks with his hamstring tear, but McCalman is still a chance to play for the Wallabies in the June Test window.
Wessels says McCalman is a chance to return either against the Highlanders on May 20, or the Reds a week later.
The Lions, runners-up last year, have lost just one game this season to again thrust themselves into the title hunt, only four years after they themselves were dumped from Super Rugby.
Wessels wants to use the Lions' journey as a blueprint to how the Force can achieve success in future years - assuming the Perth-based franchise survives the ARU's axe.
