The league fosters a sense of containment, almost in a military sense, where teams can live with a stalemate but the knockout cup demands oodles of desperation because if you snooze you lose.
Teams can trip while flicking between the mindsets although the Rovers appear to have that under control.
"It's just important to perform to our high standards," says Robertson before they kick off at 2.30pm today at Hutt Park No1 against Stop Out in Wellington.
Those standards include a five-point buffer on Western Suburbs at Park Island, Napier, last Sunday in the battle of the first and second-placed sides in an emphatic 5-1 victory against a Declan Edge-coached side that looked youthful and reflected that inexperience in front of the goalmouth.
That does not detract from the fact the Rovers also continuously rang bells in the Wellingtonians' stock exchange area but squandered scoring opportunities.
How both teams buy into their attacking prowess and defensive lapses, based on their contrasting ideologies, or market themselves to their respective fans is entirely their business.
What is open to scrutiny is the propensity to stumble on what in sporting parlance is commonly referred to as "complacency".
The Blues are not exempt from it either, inexplicably falling 1-0 to Petone in the league match at Park Island in what was deemed to be a timely wake-up call for the ensuing 2-1 cup victory against Stop Out the following weekend.
Petone had scored early then sat back behind the ball to frustrate the hosts while Stop Out, who had lost 3-1 here in the league as well early in the season to a Blues side missing Hawke's Bay United players, were more of nuisance value.
"They [Stop Out] have steadily improved ... and made life difficult for us," Robertson says.
He sees the Rovers' dominance this winter stemming from some serious analysis after last year's campaign and identifying pivotal players for this year in their quest for the league and cup double.
"So far we're on track," he says as the Blues average four goals a game and boast three players in the league's golden boot race. Angus Kilkolly leads the scoring charts with 11 goals, Ryan Tinsley is two behind and Saul Halpin has seven.
The long bus trip today will be a factor but the Rovers will enjoy the grass pitch in a league fast laying down artificial turfs.
One eye has to be on the Paul Ifill-coached Wairarapa United who have leapfrogged Western Suburbs into second place to sit on 21 points on the table following two losses, including a 5-2 drubbing in Napier against the Blues.
