Down on player numbers from last year’s team, the Rams will only field one side in the senior grades with hope on developing the club’s younger players to be a force in future years.

“We will only be running with one senior side this year because we couldn’t the numbers to get two sides together with a lot of people leaving the club so we are just going to run with one,” Rams’ president Terry Carson said. 

“We will play first grade this weekend and see how it goes then. 

“We have got a pretty young side.

“We have one bloke who is in his thirties and then the rest of them are between 18 and 25 which is a good thing for the future. 

“That’s why we decided to go the way we are going.”

Carson said the club’s future is looking bright with some promising prospects coming through the ranks. 

“We have a really good under 18s side this year and hopefully if they come up to seniors next year we will be able to keep building on them.

“We are pretty confident they will do well this year and be in the top couple of sides.

“A new player has come to town for the university, Jack Wythes.

“He looks like he is going to be a pretty handy pick up for us from what we have seen from him so far.”

Women’s rugby league is on the rise with the league tag competition and Carson said the Rams’ girls are looking strong this year.

“We have the ladies league tag and they should go pretty well but there are a couple of strong teams down there in Tamworth,” he said. 

As far as the rest of the competition goes, Carson said reigning premiers North Tamworth Bears will be the ones to beat this season. 

“North Tamworth are very strong,” he said.

“They have won the competition the last two years and the first year they won they didn’t lose a game and last year they only lost one game all year.

“They will be a stronger side again this year.”

The first match commences at 12pm at Rugby League Park on Sunday.