The Rams head south for the round four fixture against the Colts after a last-round, six-point loss to the Illawarra South Coast.

The 26-20 defeat was Western’s first of the under 18s country championship but an extremely congested southern pool means Paul McDonald’s Rams are in danger of missing out on the top two if Saturday’s trip to Harden doesn’t bear competition points.

Western is currently fifth on the ladder with three points but all four teams ahead of the Rams are within striking distance.

Riverina (first, four points), Monaro (second, four points), Illawarra (third, four points) and Penrith (fourth, three points) make-up the top four.

A win over Monaro and then another victory over the last-placed Greater Southern Region Wests Tigers could catapult Western into a finals position.

Woolnough’s return is a timely one as the Rams look to mount a bid for the top two alongside fellow Magpies players Coopa Martin and Aaron Mawhinney.

The Rams under 18s kick-off at 12.45pm at Roberts Park, Harden, but preceding that is Western’s under 16s clash with the Colts.

The Kurt Hancock-coached Andrew Johns Cup leaders have been been stand-outs over the course of the competition’s opening three weeks.

Last Saturday’s 30-26 victory over the Illawarra South Coast Dragons was easily Western’s best after comfortably knocking off both Riverina and Penrith in the opening weeks of the under 16s country championship.

The young Rams sit on top of the ladder as the southern pool’s only undefeated side and, on average, scores 13 more points per game than the next best attack in the pool – the Dragons.

Ominously for the rest of the Andrew Johns Cup, Hancock said his side’s attack – which boasts Forbes guns Jack Hartwig and Jack Smith – has been hit and miss heading into the Monaro clash this Saturday.

The Rams ran in six tries in a trial game against the Colts in February but Hancock expects Saturday’s Monaro outfit to be a touch stronger.

“We played Monaro in a trial game early in the piece, it looks like they’re getting a bit of a roll on now,” he said.

“We’ll just worry about ourselves. Did a lot of video against the south coast and focused on their attack. We’ll concentrate on ourselves this week.”

Hancock’s ladder-leading Rams kick off the round four clashes at Hardeom from 11.30am.