The Steamers face a pivotal match on the road on Saturday.
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The Border outfit sits just a point out of the top five and should account for CSU.
However, the win becomes even more crucial given the Steamers are home to juggernauts Leeton and Wagga Warathas before the mid-season break of two weeks, starting the June long weekend.
“It’s a must-win game and then it puts you in with a chance at the end really,” fly-half Blake Le Cornu said.
The Steamers have two wins and draw from their first six games.
If they can’t overcome the students in Wagga, there’s every chance that record will be the same after nine rounds.
Le Cornu’s first game in the top grade will certainly help the club’s chances.
He had a hernia repaired just prior to Christmas, making his return in reserve grade last week.
“I was supposed to play half a game, just to see how it went, but I ended up playing the full game, so that was alright,” he said.
“He (the surgeon) said to give it six months to be fully repaired.
“He said you can play earlier but, if you do it again, you’re back to square one.”
While Le Cornu has been on the sideline, he says the team is starting to find its feet.
“A lot of the blokes are pretty new, we’ve just met each other, so it’s a new team together,” he said.
Around half the squad is new, while a handful have returned.
One of the positives in the clashes against the top two after this week is that both games will be played at home.
CSU has just the one win and sits second-last, a spot below the Steamers.
The students are coming off a loss to Ag College.