Stepping up to replace Adam Hall at the Wagga club, Jeffery may not be promising miracles in his debut season, but he is definitely “optimistic”.

“We’ve all put in the hard work and we’re on the same page,” Jeffery said.

“We’ve put last year behind us and the team is really keen to go.

“The main aim is to be competitive.”

Searching for a fresh start following five years and three premierships with Albury, Jeffery has definitely walked into a serious challenge at Kangaroos.

In a dramatic decline, Roos crashed from fourth in 2015 to narrowly avoid the wooden-spoon last year.

The team won only three of their 16 games and finished 10th, ahead of only Tumut.

Now Jeffery has accepted the daunting responsibility of trying to resurrect the fortunes of the once glamour team.

Heading into an opening round scrap with premiers Southcity at Harris Park on Saturday, Jeffery is still taking a positive approach.

And despite losing young prop Nick Baker to appendicitis, Jeffery is not counting out his team on the weekend,

“We’ve got Southcity, Gundagai and Junee in the first three games and we’ll be looking at winning one, two or three of them,” Jeffery said.

“It’ll be great if we can get two or three.”

With Baker hospitalised, Jeffery has selected Steve O’Neill and Jack Kelly in the front row beside dashing hooker Zac Graham.

Jeffery said the inclusion of O’Neill gave the smallish pack “a bit of size”.

“We’re a bit light on,” Jeffery said.

“But you can’t knock the guys there.

“They’re the future of the club.”

Completely fit and burning with desire and energy, Jeffery will play halfback on Saturday, going to head to head with Southcity ace Kyle McCarthy.

Relishing the joust with McCarthy and his halves partner Nathan Rose, Jeffery admits Southcity’s powerful pack is a monstrous obstacle.

Although the Bulls have lost three star backs from last year, they remain as tight and forceful in the forwards as ever.

Jeffery is wary of the punch of Hayden Jeans, Nick Skinner and Jordan Shepherd, but is backing his youthful pack to match them.

Significantly, former Southcity flyer Jack Lyons will confront his old team on Saturday.

Lyons starred on the wing in Southcity’s premiership triumph last year but will play in the centres for Roos.

With Lyons, Tristan Dickson, Jeffery and company in the backs, pace is not an issue for the team.     

Kangaroos: 1 Tristan Dickson, 2 Daniel Hill, 3 Lachlan Cuell, 4 Jack Lyons, 5 Jeremy Hampton, 6 Dylan McLachlan, 7 Ben Jeffery, 8 Steve O'Neill, 9 Zach Graham, 10 Jack Kelly, 11 Hayden Jolliffe, 12 Cliff Morris, 13 Troy Barby, 14 Lee-Roy Charles, 15 Kade MacDonald, 16 James Whiteley, 17 John Arentz