After taking out the Colts Shield last year, the Lions will be stepping up to the top tier and taking on the likes of Newcastle Hunter, Central Coast and Central North.

Last year’s side was rated one of the best colts’ sides the Lions had fielded in a number of years.

Charter believes this year’s squad is better again and well equipped to perform well.

“They’ve got every opportunity to play as well as the side last year,” he said.

“The thing that was really important last year was guys played out of their skins when they needed to.”

The wet conditions  in Bowral probably didn’t suit them and the way they wanted to play.

Which, with three Country representatives in the backline, was an expansive game.

This year it’s the pack that’s stacked with Country reps, with six of the forwards part of the Country Colts squad for the Southern States U20 Championships, played earlier in the year.

Five of those – skipper Sinclair Clinton, second-rower Ben Carmichael, prop Will Turner (St Alberts), second rower Tim Beare (Robb) and breakaway Riley Hopwood (Armidale) will start.

Albies front-rower Jono Green has been named on the bench, purely because he’s coming back from a knee injury, Charter said. 

“Obviously that gives our forward pack a bit of experience,” he said.

He said they have all come back better players.

“We’ve done everything we can,” Charter said.

“The good thing for us is the forwards are quite experienced, being their second campaign.”

Clinton, Green, Beare and Hopwood were all part of last year’s successful squad.

It’s a different story in the backs but Charter said they had come together well.

“We’ve had a couple of young blokes from Robb come in who have proved exceptional,” Charter said.

They’ve given them a bit more depth. They were looking a bit shallow on the bench a couple of weeks ago.

“It’s now a matter of seeing how well they click together,” Charter said.

“We’ve got plenty of pace and the guys are actually physically able to handle themselves.”

That was highlighted in last weekend’s local action.

“We had the opens centre for the Blues (Navi Tiko) playing against the 20s centre from Robb (Ben Blyton),” Charter said. “That was a cracking battle.”

Blyton was Robb’s best in the narrow loss and is also a brilliant kicker.

He’ll be a real asset, he said.

Liam Trout is the other Robb player Charter was referring to.

He’ll start in the centres, pairing up with Albies’ Tom Fischer.

Harry Wardle will direct things at five-eighth and has been doing a good job there for Albies.

The talent is certainly there and Charter is confident if they play to their potential they will do well.

They take on last year’s runners-up Central Coast in their first game at 2.30pm.