The Pirates currently sit on the foot of the Group Three competition ladder and are without a win from five matches.

"Adelaide United lost the first eight games of the season and went on to win the comp,'' Lucas pointed out.

"So all's not lost yet.''

Lucas said his players remain upbeat despite their winless start to the year. However, he agreed the Pirates face a stiff challenge to break their duck against premiers Port Macquarie at Port Macquarie tomorrow.

The Sharks go into the game fresh from a 56-6 mauling of Port City last Saturday.

On the same day Old Bar lost 18-4 to Taree City, a match where Lucas said the Pirates forfeited all chance of winning by dropping too much ball.

"I said to the boys at training that we're stepping up a league this week. If they drop as much ball on Saturday as they did against the Bulls they'll have to put another nought on the scoreboard.''

Lucas said the Pirates aren't taking their training form on the field on game day.

"After we trained last Thursday night I was really confident going into the match against the Bulls,'' he said.

"But that's not the way it worked out.''

Lucas will make a couple of changes to the run-on 13 for tomorrow's game.

Prop Dave Windus will return to reserve grade after returning from injury against Taree.

Windus had been sidelined with an Achilles injury and Lucas conceded he wasn't ready for first grade.

"I had a chat to 'Chewy' at training. He just needs a couple of games in reserve grade,'' Lucas said.

Rumone Jackson and Brendan Clarke will be the starting props and Lucas will give newcomer Anthony Paulson, a gain from Taree City, a run from the bench.

Josh Wood returned to the club last week after playing for Tweed Heads under 20s in the Queensland Cup. Wood played on the wing and according to Lucas was one of the side's best.

"He was a lock/five-eighth when he left here so I'll move him closer to the action this week,'' Lucas said.

In other games this weekend Forster-Tuncurry meets Wauchope at Wauchope while Port City hosts Macleay. Both games will be on Sunday.

TAREE City Bulls hold on equal third place on the Group Three Rugby League ladder will be tenuous if they can't get some points out of their next two games.

And that's going to be no mean assignment. The Bulls meet front running Wingham tomorrow at the Wingham Sporting Complex and then make the trip to tackle premiership favourites Port Macquarie at Port.

"It's a tough two weeks,'' Taree coach Gary Bridge said in something of an understatement.

"We'll need to win one of them to stay on track.''

The Bulls go into tomorrow's clash after a solid 18-4 win over Old Bar.

However, that win came at a price, with the Bulls losing classy centre Aaron Bayley for the rest of the season with a broken ankle.

"Aaron's going to be a big loss. He's an experienced player and they're hard to replace,'' Bridge admitted.

However, this could give two youngsters a chance to shine. Dean Mills, fresh out of under 18s, was one of Taree's best playing fullback against the Pirates and he'll be in the starting side somewhere tomorrow. He'll stay at custodian if group representative Anthony Avery is again forced to withdraw with a hamstring twinge.

And if that's the case Shannon Mullay, who is still eligible for 18s, will get another shot in the top grade. Mullay replaced Bayley last week and impressed, scoring a try.

Bridge is a fan of giving youth a chance.

"They're young and enthusiastic,'' he said.

"They'll make mistakes, but they're not scared to try something.''

Bridge said both will also give the Bulls some speed - a commodity they'll need to combat the quicksilver Wingham outside backs.

The Bulls will be without prop Josh Northam who has succumbed to a knee injury.

Ethan Currey will come into the side.

Wingham ran Taree ragged in the opening 40 minutes of the opening round clash before running in a 58-28 win.

"They were perfect in the first half. We were pretty good in the second, but it was all over by then,'' Bridge said.

INJURIES and unavailable players have hit Wingham's resources going into tomorrow's Group Three Rugby League clash against Taree City at the Jack Neal Oval.

The undefeated competition leaders will be without prop Ben Welsh (knee), centre Tom Dooker (knee), utility forward Michael Rees (unavailable) and halfback Luke Steel (finger).

Second rower Blake Fraser was due to have scans yesterday on the knee he injured against Forster-Tuncurry last Sunday.

"A few of the older blokes are getting injuries,'' captain-coach Kurt Lewis said.

"But the younger blokes are stepping up.''

The Tigers have five wins from as many starts without being all that authoritive in recent matches.

"We're just doing enough to win,'' Lewis admitted.

"We're playing one good half and that's been enough.''

While conceding this form isn't good enough to win a premiership, Lewis points out there's a long way to go. And at least the Tigers are winning.

"We can start to work on consistency as we get closer to the finals,'' he said.

He said fullback Blake Sky and hooker Mitch Collins have been two of Wingham's best this year.

"Blake's playing out of his skin. He saved three tries last week and was our player of the match,'' he said, adding that Collins has carried on from a solid debut year in first grade in 2015.

Of the older brigade halfback Trent Green showed touches of class against the Hawks.

"He's making my job easier,'' Lewis said.

"He's controlling everything on the left. He's been around a while and knows it all.''

Lewis remains wary of Taree's forwards.

"They have a good young pack,'' he said.

"But like I say every week, if we can control them in the forwards our back will do the job.''