By Matt Findlay

For Todd Dammers’ maturing, sixth-placed Souths outfit, Saturday’s round eight showdown against Sunnybank is a game of opportunities – as a squad, and individually.

It’s a chance for the side to score consecutive wins for the first time this year and build momentum, but it also presents an opportunity for one of the Magpies’ brightest prospects to stamp his authority.

Dammers confirmed Junior Wallabies prop Andrew Romano has been promoted from the bench to make his Hospitals Challenge Cup run-on debut, saying it’s ‘frightening’ how much potential the rookie bookend has.

“He’s going to be a pretty special player, I think,” Dammers said.

“He’s just out of school but had a really strong game off the bench against Easts last week coming up against a really good tighthead prop in Rhys Van Nek, he actually turned out scrum around. 

“Coincidentally his parents have come up from Orange, in the Central West of NSW, to see him and they’ll be able to watch him make his run-on debut which is pretty special for them and awesome for him too.

“We actually only made that decision on [Thursday] morning, to bring him in to start.”

Romano moved to Queensland as a 16-year-old to take up an opportunity with Brisbane Boys’ High in 2018, working his way into both the Reds academy and the Junior Wallabies squad since.

He’ll be tested again this weekend when he packs down against former Tongan international Dave Feao but as Dammers said, the best way for young props to develop is to face the best.

“He’s a big boy and he’s played a lot of league growing up, I think, but he’s getting there and quickly. When he gets it all right he’ll be dominant, that could be frightening,” Dammers said.

“He’s a hell of a prospect, he just needs to keep doing the work. As a front-rower, you don’t get to play against experienced guys in age-group rugby so taking on guys who have been there and done that, you figure it out pretty quickly.

“He’s got a big test this weekend against Dave Feao, a former international prop, but I’m really intrigued to see how he handles it.”

The Magpies have been there or thereabouts all season, downing third-placed Wests (33-24) and sticking it to undefeated, competition-leaders University of Queensland in a narrow, 35-28 defeat.

That was one of four defeats they’ve suffered this year, picking up their second win of 2021 over last year’s premiers Easts (17-12) last weekend.

“The UQ game, I think, was probably the best rugby we’ve played in quite a while, it was heartbreaking to lose in the last few minutes there but it showed we can match it with those sides,” Dammers said.

“We’re building, we’re still working our way through the journey with this group and we’ve shown plenty but I think maybe we’ve just lacked that killer instinct.

“This weekend is a great opportunity to build some momentum, we’ve got a stretch of five games coming up where we’re playing teams above us.

“But Sunnybank are a really strong, physical side and they’ll be tough. There’s no gimmes in this competition.”