The premiers were shocked by winless wooden spooners Wagga City in round one, but co-coach Angus Stevenson expects a very different outfit to turn up to tackle the Steamers.

"You can see it written all over the players faces - they are ready for it," Stevenson said.

"They are their own worst enemies and the bearers of their own standards and there wasn't much we needed to do. They are almost self correcting."

Wagga City became just the second side to get the better of Waratahs since their narrow loss to Albury in the 2015 grand final.

Stevenson didn't think they team took the right attitude into the clash.

"I think we were outenthused," he said.

"We had the better players but we just didn't show up.

"There were a few missed opportunities that would have turned it around, there was a yellow card that didn't need to be given ..... and it's just frustrating."

Albury are also out to hit back at a 44-5 loss to Tumut to start the season.

Stevenson doesn't believe much has to change for Tahs to get a better result.

"We just have to turn up with the right attitude, hit the game with a bit of enthusiasm and focus on the small things," he said.

"If we take small steps and get the little things right and then the big picture will come."

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Waratahs have made plenty of changes to travel down to Albury.

However Stevenson insists it isn't a reaction to their loss to start the season.

Instead it's to cover a number of absentees.

"We knew there were going to be a couple of players who were going to be away as it's a bit of a staggered start to the season with the first two rounds and then the bye," he said.

"It gives a couple of players the opportunity they deserve."

Adam McPherson and Dan Moloney are the new playmaking combination with Diego Danus and Xavier Chigwidden both unavailable.

Tony Ritchie comes in at hooker for Kurt Holzl while Jacob Makeham is on the wing to replace George Mallat, who looked one of the few dangerous players for Tahs last week.

Stevenson is looking for the side to play the way the train.

He'd been pleased by how they bought into a new regime in the pre-season but it definitely didn't show last week.

"The biggest frustration out of everything is you let guys like Dean King and Blake Hart, who we brought on this year to help out pre-season, and you make all their hard work for nothing," Stevenson said.

"They put a lot of time into it, and the players have responded to it really well, but they have to make sure the work they have been doing really translates."

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