In the lead up to the start of the new Blowes Cup season, ACM will be previewing all six clubs ahead of kick-off on April 20.
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From reigning premiers Bathurst Bulldogs, Dubbo Kangaroos, Orange City, Orange Emus, Forbes Platypi and Cowra Eagles, we'll be looking at each club's strengths, weaknesses, key players and more.
Last but not least, it's Cowra.
It was a third place finish for Cowra Eagles in 2023 and a preliminary final defeat.
And while third place wasn't bad, they lost more games than they won and finished just three points ahead of Orange City in fifth, who missed out on the finals.
In contrast to what was above them, second place Emus finished 15 points ahead of Cowra.
This year is expected to be a bit of a rebuilding year for the Eagles, as they looked to return to the heights of 2021, when they were awarded the premiership due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The (assistant) coach
ASSISTANT coach Casey Proctor believes Cowra will head into the opening round of the Blowes Cup season "unprepared".
The Eagles had a few trials lined-up, including a trip down to Wagga, but that ultimately fell through.
The only match Cowra got in was one with Canberra's Uni-Norths Owls, suffering a heavy defeat at Boorowa, and with the Shute Shield in town on Saturday, there's been no time for another trial.
But despite the disrupted pre-season, Proctor said numbers have been strong at training and the morale is high.
"Numbers are good, we've got a lot of young guys that haven't played grade or rugby before," he said.
"The morale and the spirit is good. I'm pretty satisfied with the commitment, morale and team spirit of the young footballers."
Why they can win it
There's still plenty of talent at Cowra and it will be those standout players that will help the Eagles' climb up the ladder.
NSW Country representative Damian Michael is the obvious standout player.
Tight head prop and 2021 Blowes Cup player of the year Tom Cummins is still on the books and Noah Ryan, who was the leading point scorer that same season, will also be key at fullback.
And while they have a smaller forward pack, Proctor believes that may come as an advantage with the new tackling rules - any contact above the bottom of the sternum is now considered a high tackle.
Why they can't
IN 2021, Cowra hit the clinical of Central West Rugby, when it was awarded the Blowes Cup premiership.
Since then, the Eagles haven't been the same side.
They've been slowly dropping off, while Bathurst Bulldogs and Orange Emus have only gotten stronger each year.
And when you see know they've lost experience in the forward pack and there's a number of players in first grade for the first time, 2024 could be a major rebuilding year for Cowra.
The other teams around them are also improving, like Forbes Platypi welcoming back club stalwart Mahe Fangupo and Orange City aad Dubbo Kangaroos announcing a new crop of exciting coaches.
Key player
THERE was no surprise when Damian Michael was the first name to come to mind for Proctor.
Selected in last year's 28-man squad for the NSW Country Cockatoos, Michael is easily the Eagles' best prospect.
If Cowra is going to enjoy success in 2024, Michael will be pivotal to it.
"We've tried to reduce his workload a little bit, so we'll be using him more in attack this year," Proctor said.
Prediction
Sixth
COWRA will still be competitive, but there's so much to like about the other five teams.
The Eagles will struggle to match it with the Bulldogs and Emus, but might find some more joy against Orange City, Dubbo and Forbes.
But it'll still be tough.
That's why the western sports team has the Eagles running last this year.