Albury Thunder looks to hold chasing pack off with win over Young

Thunder has a game and a half gap on Temora and Junee, with Wagga outfits Kangaroos and Brothers just trailing that duo.

The Border combination travels to Young, where it tackles the second-bottom Cherrypickers.

"This is a really big game for us, we have to go up there switched on," Robbie Byatt said of the three-hour trip north.

"We've got a bye after that, so we can refresh and in the last 10 games six of them are at home."

Byatt is one of Group Nine's strongest halfbacks at 180cms and a powerful 92kgs.

He's almost a front-rower in a half's body with his passion for charging at the defence.

"I like it, you don't see a lot of halfbacks taking the line on," he said.

"I like to keep them (opposition teams) in two minds by showing I can run the ball."

Even at NRL level, a number of halfbacks rarely run the ball.

"They always look to pass the ball, you can read teams a lot better if you know the halfback's going to pass all the time and not run the ball," he said.

"I like having runs through the pack, I'm not a little fella so I can get a bit of contact."

Byatt joined the club from Tumbarumba last year and has quickly become a versatile player.

"I was a fullback when I started off and then moved to the centres," he said.

"I played a bit of five-eighth for 'Tumba' when I was coaching there, but I signed here as a centre and played the first few games there.

"I went into five-eighth and now I've gone to halfback, I like to get my hands on the ball."

Byatt's unselfish attitude with the ball has allowed coach Adrian Purtell to control play at five-eighth.

The halfback is often the team's organiser and while Byatt is also capable of that, his running game hands Purtell the opportunity to direct his team-mates.

The Cherrypickers boast a reasonable points differential for a club boasting just one win.

The home team has conceded 28 points per game, but it's got a better for and against record than Temora, Junee and Kangaroos.

That means their defence is relatively sound and given the home ground advantage, there's every chance Thunder will need to work hard to break the line.

Albury currently trails ladder leaders Gundagai by two wins, but if the Tigers fall to Southcity in the top of the table clash, the club will move to within three points of top spot with a win.