THEY have the heart and the ability so Western Rams coach Cameron Greenhalgh hopes playing on home turf this Saturday will give his side the inspiration they need to post their maiden win in the Presidents Cup.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Rams have gone winless through the first five rounds of the NSW Rugby League competition as they have been tested by travel, physically bigger rivals, men with NRL experience and teams with proven combinations.
While Greenhalgh knows execution has at times hurt his youthful side as well, he also knows they have not shirked any challenge.
"The effort is there, they're just not quite there in terms of a full 80 minute effort," he said.
"It's a very young side, there is a lot of ability in there."
Playing at home is something which has offered Rams sides of season past an element of belief and when the current squad lined up at Orange's Wade Park in round four, they came close to upsetting the Thirroul Butchers with a 14-10 result.
That match was followed by a disappointing performance at Maitland last weekend, where they suffered a heavy 58-4 loss to the ladder-leading Pickers.
This Saturday the Rams will again be at home when hosting Wentworthville Magpies at Mudgee's Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium.
Like the Rams, the Magpies are yet to win a game but the backline does feature NRL experience.
Winger Ethan Parry made his NRL debut for the Parramatta Eels only last season while centre Omar Slaimankhel played with the New Zealand Warriors in the past while he also enjoyed a stint in Japanese rugby union.
Greenhalgh hopes it will be the home ground factor which helps his side be the one which finds its maiden cup success.
"Hopefully we can use the home ground to our advantage because we've been very close at times to knocking off a couple of big sides," the coach said.
"I think being at home the next couple of weeks we will be better ... we've just got to go out there and keep giving it our all and hopefully with a little bit of luck, everything will go to plan."
Whatever happens this Saturday, and in the two matches which follow, Greenhalgh knows the Rams will benefit from facing quality opposition.
"It is tough, but sometimes you've got to have a tough year or tough games in football to become a better player and I think that's what they'll become," he said.
"They are playing [in the] Sydney club system, the NRL system at the moment and are playing against grown men who have played NRL before, it's a big learning curve for them but I think they'll come out the other side better."
Saturday's match will kick off at 2pm.
- WESTERN RAMS: 1 Mitchell Andrews, 2 Brock Naden, 3 Jackson Brien, 4 Jesse Wighton, 5 Mackenzie Atkins, 6 Harry Siejka, 7 Nick Tilburg, 8 Brad Fearnley, 9 Brendan Hands, 10 Jed Betts, 11 Bailey Hartwig, 12 Jordan Pope, 13 Jake Betts, 14 Jack Beasley, 15 Cody Godden, 16 Liam Henry, 17 Nathan Ward.
- WENTWORTHVILLE MAGPIES: 1 Nick Walker, 2 Cameron Hall, 3 Omar Slaimankhel, 4 Taufa Afu, 5 Ethan Parry, 6 Thomas Bartley, 7 Eli Levido, 8 Adam Spicer, 9 Ryan Pritchard, 17 Braad Johnson, 11 Keiran Hayman, 16 Charles Shepherd, 13 Blake Cook, 10 Dayne Vette-Welsh, 15 Henry Raiwalui, 22 Awishkar Gnyawali, 20 Brandon Shoveller.