Coming off a loss to 36-12 loss to Young on Sunday, which saw the Cherrypickers move off the bottom, Westblade insists the team can turn it around despite missing plenty of big names.

“We will be back,” Westblade said.

“The guys are all in good spirits, we just have to work hard and put a few combinations together.

“We will be better for the run.”

However Westblade couldn’t find his disappointed and admitted they “weren’t much opposition” against the Cherrypickers.

Brothers trailed 14-6 at the break before really letting it slip away.

“At half-time I was pretty confident the boys could come back,” he said.

“We had plenty of chances in the first half to score but unable to score.

“It was costly little things, a lack of intensity maybe.

“There were too many little errors and were out enthused really.”

Brothers went into the clash without Peter Little, Cameron Bruest, Ethan MacKenzie, who have all been ruled out for the rest of the season, plus Aaron Wynne, Cade Price and Connor McCauley.

Playing without their usual fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker the Wagga side struggled.

“It was really hard to get any continuity or combination out there,” Westblade said.

“I think that was a big thing in the end.

“Guys tried hard, but we just didn’t have combinations and people were probably second guessing where we were trying to go to.”

Brothers have lost three of their last four games and are now in danger of dropping out of the top two.

They need to beat Kangaroos on Saturday to lock down second place or risk Gundagai forcing them to play in the minor semi-final.

They Tigers are two points behind but have a far better percentage.

If Brothers lose to their crosstown rivals and Gundagai wins against Albury on Sunday, the Tigers will play Southcity in the first week of the finals.

Westblade believes it is crucial to turn things around to secure second place and pick up some much needed momentum heading into finals.

“We know what is on the line and the guys will be up for it,” he said.

“We just have to get a few things right and go from there.

“It is really important to get those two bites of the cherry and with the situation we are in at the moment it is probably even more important that we can second.”

Finishing second would enable the makeshift team more time together and more importantly give others more time to return from injury.

Kangaroos are also limping into their first game against Brothers this season.

They’ve lost six of their last seven games to sit only one win above last place.