NICK Loader has long wanted to wear a green and white Western Rams jumper and now his chance has finally come for what he labels a 'once in a lifetime' match.
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The Bathurst Panthers hooker has been named in the 21-man Western Rams opens squad which will take on France under lights at Parkes on Wednesday night.
His selection in the Tim Ryan coached outfit comes on the back of consistently strong form for the Group 10 premiers, form which Loader has worked hard to build since cracking first grade.
"It's something that when you are growing up and playing footy around here, something that you always want to do," Loader said of playing for the Rams.
"I've played a bit of rep footy like Group 10 for under 18s and even in under 23s, but I didn't quite get a start in a Rams side. So to crack it now in an opens side, they haven't had an opens side for a few years, it will be good.
"I've always played my footy around here, so it's always been something I've wanted to do. But it took even a few years to crack our first grade side once I got through the junior grades.
"But once I sort of established myself in Panthers first grade side I thought I wanted to play a bit of rep footy and that has started to come around.
"It's a good opportunity to verse a national team, something like that doesn't come around very often.
"There are blokes who have played rep footy for 10 or 15 years around here and none of them have got a chance to play against an international side, it's a once in a lifetime sort of opportunity, it's something that you won't forget."
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Loader got his first taste of playing for the Rams earlier this month when they beat a handy Riverina outfit 18-6.
But that game was just a warm up for the clash with the French team which recently played in the World Cup 9s.
While the Chanticleers will start as favourites for the match, Loader is confident he and his fellow Rams will provide them with a stern test.
"We've got a real good side ... we're a young side and going off that trial game we played down in Riverina last week, it didn't take us long to click together," he said.
"Hopefully we'll bring that again this week. I know they'll have a good side this France team, but they'll do well to defeat us - all the boys want it.
"I don't know what they'll be expecting to walk into, but I know we'll go out there and give it a shot and show them a bit of what we do out here in bush footy."
Loader is one of four members of the Group 10 title winning Panthers outfit who will play on Wednesday night with centre Blake Lawson and brothers Jake and Jed Betts also named in the Rams squad.
The talented rake hopes that it will not be his last appearance in a Rams jumper either, even though there is no longer a set representative program for open-age teams.
"Even though they've brought in the under 23s and stopped doing the opens, I reckon they need to keep doing the opens. Once you get past 23 you've got nothing to look forward to, so hopefully they can stick to having an opens team each year," he said.
"Obviously it's not always going to be a game like this, but I reckon they definitely need to look at bringing it back."
Kick-off is 7pm Wednesday night at Jock Colley Field.
