The Cowra Magpies will be looking to two Jacks, Jack Buchanan and Jack Nobes when they start their quest for the Peter (Ace) McDonald Premiership which officially kicked off with Mudgee Dragons taking on the Dubbo Macquarie Raiders in Mudgee last weekend.
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The Dragons 34 defeated Dubbo Macquarie Raiders 24 in the season opener with the Magpies and other clubs all starting their seasons this weekend.
Cowra will play host to Lithgow Workies in their first round match this Saturday, April 9 with kick off at Sid Kallas Oval at 2.30pm.
In other first round matches Orange Hawks are home to Dubbo Cyms, Nyngan Tigers host Orange CYMS, Wellington Cowboys are home to Bathurst Panthers and Parkes Spacemen will take on Bathurst St Pats. Forbes Magpies kick of their season in round 2 after receiving the first round bye.
The Magpies have plenty of firepower up front this season with Jack Buchanan joining the club after stints in the NRL, with the Toronto Wolfpack in the English Championship, Burleigh Bears in Queensland and Orange CYMS in recent years.
He played 41 NRL games with the Wests Tigers between 2013 and 2016 and was to join the Magpies last year but joined CYMS after the Magpies decided to take the year off to rebuild.
Newly appointed Cowra coach Jack Nobes said he's looking forward to Saturday's season opener.
"I'm really excited about the year, the way we look and the attitude of the boys," he said.
I'm really excited about the year, the way we look and the attitude of the boys
- Magpies coach Jack Nobes
"We're always fairly optimistic but things have come together really well, especially with Jack (Buchanan).
The Magpies are expected to be near full strength for the season opener with Darcy Howard the only major omission at this stage.
Howard will be in Sydney competing in a Young Auctioneers title.
Key to the Magpies chances this weekend, Nobes believes, will be Buchanan and also Blake Duncombe.
"He'd been out for a while and then came back last year with Canowindra," Nobes said of Duncombe.
"They'll be massive for us, along with Picky (Will Ingram), in the middle and then when we win the battle in the middle it will be up to Warren Williams and blokes like him who will have time to play.
"That's how we've set it up, for the blokes outside."
"I've never seen a pre-season like it, the excitement is back, we've been getting awesome numbers right across the board," he said.