It's their first time playing alongside each other but Bridie McClure and Alicia Earsman are confident they can guide the Western women to not only a first-up win over Monaro but a successful Country Championships campaign.
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Not only will the newly-formed duo be a force to keep an eye on, but so will several other pieces of their roster such as Bathurst's Claudia McLaren and Zahlia Griffiths, Earsman labeling the group as "the best Rams side she's seen for a while".
"It's only my second year being involved in the squad but there's a lot of talented players," she said.
"Particularly out wide ... there's a lot of speed."
It's going to be the halves' responsibility to not only guide the team around the park, but to give these danger players quality ball.
McClure will make her Western debut on Sunday and even though the five-eighth is playing alongside a new half, she's pleased with the chemistry so far.
"We're combined pretty well so far considering we've never played together before," she said.
"We're going to try to work off the back of each other. I just really want to stick to the game plan.
"This being my first game, hopefully I can step it up and guide the girls around the park."
Being a returning player and half, Earsman wants to make sure she's always talking.
"I want to focus on heaps of communication," she said.
"Game control as well ... identifying where we are in the game and where we need to get to."
Every coach implements a different game-plan before a season but according to the girls, Skinner wants to see an expansive style in 2021.
"We're going to try to score our points on the edges," McClure said.
"We really want to shift the ball a lot. We'll try to muscle up in the middle getting out, but once we get into their end we want to get it out to our fast girls.
"Jess [Skinner] is amazing ... she has so much knowledge. She's definitely helped us out a lot."
Everyone knows that speed kills. Between Heidi Regan at the back and Nicikita and Nickole Kirby out wide, there's plenty of pace.
But, McClure spoke about another weapon that lives closer to the ruck.
"Lilly Baker coming is in going to bring a lot of punch," she said.
Baker showed bucketloads of promise in the Vipers under 18s Western Women Rugby League grand final victory last year, the utility forward shaping as a dominant Western force for years to come.
Three other Western sides will do battle at Canberra on Sunday as the Andrew Johns, Laurie Daley and men's opens are set to square off with Monaro, the latter making their start to the season with the women's.
As for the younger sides, Tony Woolnoughs 16s are facing a must-win situation after falling to 1-2 last weekend.
Kurt Hancocks 18s are dealing with no such scenario.
They're sitting pretty at 3-0 and will be looking to cement their spot as competition top dogs after a flying start to the season.
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