Stone understands the Cockies have bulked up in the pack - an area they're traditionally strong anyway.

"This is going to be a hard game,'' Stone forecast.

Former Old Bar No 8 Chris Marchment is back in the Gloucester colours this season although it's not known if he will be available for tomorrow. Gloucester scored a convincing 37-3 win over Wallamba in the opening round and Stone tips they'll be among the competition's heavyweights this year.

The Ratz are injury free after last weekend's comfortable win over Old Bar. However, Stone could make a couple of positional changes.

Player of the match Ricky Campbell finished last Saturday at fullback but he is likely to shift back to the wing.

Stone is also considering a switch in the halves with Mitch Carter going from five-eighth to halfback and Jayden Lewis moving to the 10 jumper.

Stone explained that he has a number of options with his backs.

"It's going to take four or five games to get our combinations right there,'' he said.

Tomorrow's game will have an earlier kickoff and will be underway from noon.

OLD Bar Clams will have to take baby steps when it comes to improvement in this year's Lower North Coast Rugby Union competition.

"Last week we matched it with the Ratz for 40 minutes,'' assistant coach Chad Lambert said.

"This week against Forster we'll look to make that 60 minutes. Then we'll look to go for the 80 minutes.''

Lambert said general fitness let the side down against the Ratz.

"We were pretty good for the first half, but they ran over us in the second,'' he said.

Old Bar's task won't get any easier on Saturday against defending premiers Forster-Tuncurry at Tuncurry.

This means the Clams will have tackled both of last year's grand finalists in the opening fortnight of the season.

The Clams will welcome a couple of players who missed last week, including No 8 Jordan Gillogly and centre Brad Ashe.

However, prop Kai Barnes is unavailable.

Wallamba will host Myall Lakes at Nabiac in the other encounter. Wauchope Thunder has the bye.