Before Paul Edwards pulled on the green and white of Barraba/Gwydir this season, he donned Wales’ rugby league colours.
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The Aberdare native initially came out to Australia play for the Wales under-23 mens side at the Commonwealth Championships in February.
But after meeting up with a couple of mates, he decided to stay on.
After learning that Mark Harris, who had coached him when he was younger back in Wales, was in charge at Barraba, he decided to link up with the Rams.
The Rams are certainly glad he did with the 22-year old becoming one of their biggest attacking weapons at outside centre.
He is with Jeremy York their equal top tryscorer with 12 five-pointers, and equal seventh overall.
“It’s been good, been a good experience,” he said.
It’s been a very different one both from a rugby and lifestyle perspective.
Working on a farm is far removed from his job back home as a forklift driver for a tyre company.
Then there is the rugby side of things.
“The game out here is a bit more free-flowing. It’s more of an expansive game which suits me,” Edwards said.
“It’s how I like to play.”
Part of the Welsh under-19s league side that won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Championships in Glasgow, Edwards produced a brilliant individual effort to score the Rams opening try against Gunnedah last Saturday, and looked threatening anytime he touched the ball.
He also took on the kicking duties, and landed the clutch penalty that saw them snatch their 10th win of the season.
“We had a few disappointing results but we’ve really started to find our form a bit. Hopefully we can finish the season on a high,” he said.
The Rams host Pirates at Bingara on Saturday, and will be spoiling for an upset.
They weren’t far off springing one in the first round with only six points in it.
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That isn’t lost on the premiers, who if victorious will finish on top and claim home ground advantage for the major semi-final.
Coach Mat Kelly believes that will be “a big advantage”, but they’ve got to get past the Rams first, who certainly won’t be an easy assignment.
“They’re a good side.
“We’ll definitely have to be on our game,” Kelly said.
Their final hit-out before the finals, defence has again been a big focus.
“The attack with flow all right, it’s more the defence,” Kelly said.
Attitude is the biggest issue there.
“We’d like to see a bit more urgency all over the park and eagerness to get the victory more than hoping things will just happen,” he said.
As they look to get their game finals ready, he would also like to see them show a bit more composure in the way they exit their own end.
After coming through his stint off the bench last week without any problems, Brendan Rixon will start his first game since Round 3.
He is one of the final pieces of the injury puzzle after Andrew Moodie made his return a couple of weeks ago, and will slot into outside centre.
Kelly will also have a keen interest in what transpires in the clash between Moree and Narrabri at Weebolla Oval.
Always a fierce contest, Pirates will face the Bulls in the major semi.
In the other final round fixtures Gunnedah is at home to Scone, and Quirindi host Inverell.
ROUND 18 TEAMS
PIRATES: 1 Andrew Collins, 2 Tim Collins, 3 Ben Goodman, 4 Jack Shelton, 5 Andrew Wynne, 6 Douglas Biffin, 7 Sam Collins, 8 Conrad Starr (c), 9 Jackson Sharpe, 10 Andrew Moodie, 11 Sam Collett, 12 Andrew Mepham, 13 Brendan Rixon, 14 Lewyn Rapana, 15 James Trappel.
QUIRINDI: 1 James Davison, 2 Gordon McNeil, 3 Tom McKenzie, 4 Harrison Frear, 5 Angus Clift, 6 Jamie Morris, 7 Will Elsley, 8 Andrew McLeod, 9 Toby Saunders, 10 Elliott Tourle, 11 Wiaan Oosthuizen, 12 Tom Grant, 13 James Clift, 14 Harry Wilson, 15 Alec Olsen.
MOREE: 1 James Gall, 2 Will Carrigan, 3 Maciu Latabua, 4 Alex Jackman, 5 Andrew Fuller, 6 Lachlan Smith, 7 Nathan Ebbett (c) 8 Jack Maunder, 9 Nick Smith, 10 Jamie Sampson, 11 Josh Walker, 12 Ben Williams, 13 Jordan Cosh, 14 Mitchell Adams, 15 Kyle O'Connor.
