IF there’s one thing Walcha knows is going to be required to get the points against Pirates at Ken Chillingworth Oval today, it’s an 80-minute performance.
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The Rams have learned, twice, the harsh lesson of what happens when you don’t.
“We’ve got to put in an 80- minute effort,” co-coach Barry Hoy said.
“Two games that’s cost us.”
“One game for 40 minutes we played well and one for 70 minutes.”
They could conceivably, and probably should be, sitting on three wins, not one.
Pirates will equally be desperate for the points, with also only the one win to their credit.
Both sides are missing key players.
Pirates have skipper and inside centre Jake Douglas at Country training. Half-back James Trappel is holidaying in Scotland and breakaway Mikey Carr has TAFE commitments in Newcastle.
The Rams will notably be without number eight Will Fletcher and dangerous fullback Ed Churchill.
Pete Young shifts back to 15 for him while Tom Hoy moves into the second row and Nat Brazel back to eight for Fletcher.
As well as playing for the 80, Hoy said to get the result they’ll also have to defend well.
“That’ll be a key for us,” he said.
Last week against Gunnedah it was up and down.
“We obviously let in three tries in the second half, which wasn’t good,” he said.
“We defended pretty well in the first half.”
“We’ve just got to carry it out for 80.”
Pirates do lose a bit of punch from their game without Douglas and Carr, with coach Andrew Verrell conceding they won’t be as competitive on the ball as they have been in the past.
That is one of the trademarks of their game but can be worked around.
His big concern is how a new centre combination will stand up defensively.
“The biggest danger is our ability to defend,” he said.
“We need to be able to control the Walcha midfield.”
That said, they haven’t been paying too much attention to their opposition, although he does view the Rams as a big threat.
Again, it’s been a lot of self reflection.
“It’s a matter of focusing on what we need to attend to,” he said.
“Our error rate is not good.”
It hurt them against Narrabri last week and Gunnedah in the first round.
“It’s all the little one percenters – pushing that pass when you shouldn’t, our support lines in support of the ball carrier ....all the little bits and pieces we haven’t got quite right.”
In other games tomorrow, Quirindi host Gunnedah and Barraba are at home to Tamworth.
It is a big day for the Rams as they celebrate their 50th anniversary.
