Alex Bonham has been a big a part of the Western Rams under 23s summer program as anyone, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be taking things lightly this weekend.
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While the return of the senior game has been one of the major talking points ahead of the Western cluster at Bathurst, there’s Rams jerseys on the line in the under 23s.
Bonham and a number of his Group 11 teammates have spent much of the off-season working with Western 23s coach Tim Ryan but that doesn’t mean they’re all certain for a spot in the representative squad.
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“I’m taking it as a full-on trial,” Bonham said of this weekend.
“I don’t think it matters to Timmy if you haven’t been in the squad during summer. We’ll be going out and doing our best like we would in any other trial.”
Bonham is adamant there’s Rams jerseys on the line but he would appear a near-certainty to be in Ryan’s final squad having been in the team last year.
On top of that, he is coming off a stellar 2017 season with Dubbo CYMS, where he also plays under Ryan.
As well as a premiership win last season, Bonham was the competition’s leading point-scorer and was awarded the Bob Weird medal as man of the match in the grand final.
He’s one of eight CYMS players in the squad and one that Bonham is most looking forward to seeing in action at Bathurst is Billy Sing.
Sing won multipe premierships with CYMS before making the switch to the Dubbo Kangaroos and rugby union.
He enjoyed a huge amount of success there, finishing as club’s leading try-scorer, but is now back in the 13-man code.
“It’s definitely good to have him back in league,” Bonham said.
“He brings a lot to the side and it feels like he’s really going to step up in the rep side of things, too.”
Another thing Sing brings is size, something Group 11 and the Rams lacked last year.
Sing, a former back-rower, will now line up in the centres alongside another CYMS recruit in Jesse Wighton.
Bonham will be partnered by Forbes’ Mitch Bourke in the halves and that is a combination he is keen to be a part of.
“He’s someone I’m pretty close with on and off the field even though we play for different clubs,” he said.
While Rams jerseys are what individuals are playing for on Saturday, the Group 11 side is taking a team approach into the matches.
Group 11 meets Castlereagh-Barwon at 12pm on Saturday and a win there is likely to set up a clash with rivals Group 10.
“It’s something we’ve spoken about,” Bonham said.
“If we get an opportunity to pay Group 10 we’ll fire right up and be ready for the challenge.”
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
