Ag College will host Waratahs at Beres Ellwood Oval, where Stanham will face a side coached by his older brother, Will Mitchell.

The 20-year-old is excited by the opportunity to face the ladder leaders. 

“I’m pretty nervous about it all but I am looking forward to it,” Stanham. “All season (Waratahs) has been the one team I have wanted to play against the most.

“I really want to get one up on Will, that would be good, but it will be a big challenge.”

After playing most of the season in second grade, Stanham has been given his chance in the top grade after an injury to five-eighth Hamish Pennington.

Coach Nick McCarthy believes he is ready to make the step up.

“He has done a great job coming off the bench for us four or five times,” McCarthy said.

“The way he played against Albury, when he came off the bench a few weeks ago, we realised he was ready for it.”

Pennington is expected to be fit for the elimination final against Wagga City next week.

Stanham hadn’t played rugby union in six years before deciding to play again once he started at Charles Sturt University.

He initially trained with Waratahs in the pre-season, and despite his brother’s influence thought the university team was a better fit.

“I started up pre-season training with ‘Tahs as Will said ‘to come and play footy with Waratahs’ but as the season got a bit closer I met all the boys from Ag College at the uni and thought I might come down and have a run with them,” Stanham said.

“They are a good bunch of young blokes down there will some of the boys at ‘Tahs are a different age demographic.

“I’ve having a really good time with the boys at Ag College so it is a better fit.”

Coming back to the sport after so long, Stanham has had to make plenty of adjustments.

The physicality has been the biggest thing to adjust to.

While he will be wearing different colours, Mitchell can’t wait to see his younger brother in action.

“I couldn’t be prouder,” Mitchell said.

“Unless he was wearing a blue jumper.

“He has a very good skill set and definitely has a lot of talent so it will be interesting to see how he goes on Saturday playing the big boys.”

Waratahs have made two changes for the clash.

Sean Kearns and Jock Munro will both return to the starting team.

Kearns has come in for Pat Barrett but Mitchell expects both will make an impact for the remainder of the season.

“I see Pat as a really big impact for us coming off the bench in the finals,” Mitchell said. “That is why he isn’t starting and Kearnsy adds a bit more stability and a far bit of starch for us defensively as well.

“They will both work well for us at different parts of the game.”