Cam Greenhalgh's Western Rams have brought a lot to the table in 2020.
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Effort? Yep. Enthusiasm? You bet. Courage? Like you've never seen before.
But what the men in green and white haven't enjoyed throughout the inaugural Presidents Cup campaign is an experienced playing roster.
Don't get it twisted, though.
Harry Siejka and Jackson Brien have played a stack of meaningful football in their years, the former enjoying runs in both the NRL and Super League, but there just hasn't been enough veteran hands on deck throughout Western's 0-6 start to the campaign.
Well, that's all about to change.
Greenhalgh announced on Monday Orange Hawks captain-coach Willie Heta as well as St Pat's powerhouse Zac Merritt are set to join the Rams for their round seven clash with North Sydney.
"These young blokes in our side are doing their best but they just need a few older heads," Greenhalgh said, Merritt a member of the Forbes' side Greenhalgh coached to a Group 11 premiership in 2016.
"Heta and Merritt will come into the side ... just to name a couple. Heta's going to slot straight into the halves with Harry [Siejka] and will hopefully take a little bit of heat off him.
"Nic Tilburg played well on the weekend and he'll get his shot again."
The young half experience a 24-6 loss to Wentworthville Magpies at Mudgee's Glen Willow Sporting Complex and despite the double-digit deficit, the coach was happy with the resilience his side displayed.
"It was a tight contest for ages," he said. "It was back and forth for a little bit but we just put too much pressure on ourselves to score points. "We came up short a few times and then had some lapses in defence."
It's been a challenge run for the Rams in 2020, but a player who's had it as tough on the field as anyone is Siejka.
The 28-year-old's played alongside multiple different halves partners so far, a chore Greenhalgh thinks the veteran has handled tremendously.
"He's pretty easy going and has been really good with it all," he said.
"He was disappointed with his efforts on the weekend but that's the honesty that he brings to the side."
Heta is set to bring some stability to what's been a crazy six weeks of combinations - Mitch Burke, Brendan Hands and Nic Tilburg have all played at five-eighth.
As for Merritt, he'll give the Betts brothers a bit of support up front after the duo has shouldered a lot of the heavy lifting in a light-on prop rotation.
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Jake Humphreys
Sports nut at the Central Western Daily.
Sports nut at the Central Western Daily.
