Jayden Williams wants to start repaying the faith shown in him by new Cowra Magpies coach Phil Ingram.
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The 18-year old fullback had a day out at the Woodbridge Cup 10s in Blayney on Saturday, March 23, scoring seven tries across the 10s and under 18s sevens.
The talented junior was regularly called upon in the first grade games with teammates showing no hesitation in giving him the ball to start something.
Having gotten a taste of reserve grade in the Peter McDonald Premiership (PMP) in 2023, Williams said Ingram had backed him to thrive in Cowra's first season in Woodbridge Cup.
"He offered me a contract to play reserve grade [last year]," Williams said.
"It's honestly pretty tough, pretty scary too. But the experience is good, I like it.
"Also just getting around the boys, getting to know them and playing men's footy.
"It's pretty different coming up to the bigger leagues, there's a bit more pressure I guess. It's completely different to juniors.
"It will be a good experience for me."
Quick and powerful, the fullback already looks at home in men's football despite his age.
Williams had plenty of opportunities to stretch the legs at King George VI Oval with the extra space afforded by the reduced numbers on the field.
It was a big reason Cowra made it all the way to the final against Canowindra Tigers, where they lost 17-16 in a thriller.
It was the second final the Magpies had lost in the space of a few months after they feel agonisingly short of the PMP reserve grade title in 2023, overrun late in the match against Dubbo CYMS 32-22.
Williams played on the bench at Apex Oval on the day and said the group was determined to finally get their hands on silverware for the first time since 1995.
"That's the goal," he said.
"To try to actually win the competition this year and just keep doing us.
"We did alright last year so we'll try and do it again this year."