by Paul Cook - Ask most pundits which team were the favourites for the wooden spoon before a ball was kicked in this year’s NRC, and there’s a fair bet they would have picked the Western Sydney Rams. The restructuring of the NSW-based sides after the 2015 season saw the majority of former Sydney Stars talent bolster the Country Eagles’ ranks – their 60-28 shellacking of UC Vikings last week an indication of the force they have become as a result - while the renamed Sydney Rays have enjoyed the influx of the core of Northern Suburbs’ Shute Shield winners; the additions of Aussie Sevens stars Cameron Clark and Con Foley; and the return to Australian shores of new Waratah hooker Damien Fitzpatrick. By contrast, the Rams lost a hefty slice of their squad, with Cameron Orr and Kelly Meafua’s moves to Europe, and Sam Needs and Dewet Roos’ defections to the Eagles and Rays respectively, some of the highest profile examples on a long list of departures. Having won only once i