Although they lost, after leading for large periods of the Illawarra Rugby fixture, Shoals' skipper Steven Brandon took plenty of positives away from the defeat at Vikings Rugby Club.

"The game on the weekend was really encouraging for us," Brandon said.

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"We didn't play to our full potential and we almost got over the line against Vikings.

"Overall, I was really happy with our effort and our scramble defence was great but we need to work on our set plays and combinations during this shortened season.

"The two yellow cards also didn't help our cause but we will learn from it and be better moving forward."

The Shoals will get a chance to redeem themselves in round two against Camden (who lost 41-12 to Tech Tahs in round one) - marking their first fixture at Rugby Park in 2020.

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"We know Camden will come to play but we just need to stick to our structure and play our game - if we do that, I'm confident we will get over the top of them," Brandon, who was joint Illawarra Rugby Player of the Year in 2019, said.

"It's very important we win this game during their nine-round competition

"After having the chance to win on the road, these games are essential to win given how short the season is.

"Everyone will be ready to put their best foot forward on Saturday."

First grade kicks off at 3.15pm, following reserves at 1.30pm.