RUGBY LEAGUE: Warwick and Southern Downs will play Balonne Barwon and Macintyre on day one of the Zone 5 Under-43kg rugby league carnival at Tenterfield.

The players are due in Tenterfield at 2pm Sunday and will weigh in at 3.45pm before the carnival starts on Monday.

Ross Thorne is in his fifth year as coach and son and Warwick Cowboys five-eighth Brad Morrish has been assistant coach/trainer for the same period. Ian Carrie is manager and Dan Talbot the leaguesafe officer.

Thorne said the team had been training for the past 10 weeks.

"We have been doing a lot of work on our defence,” he said.

"Four players are backing up from last year when we came equal fourth in the carnival at Lightning Ridge.

"We have a lot of versatility in the team.”

Next week, Warwick will also play Wynnum Manly, Western Downs, Cunnamulla, South Burnett and Central Downs.

While it is hard to compare years, Thorne said the toughest games at each carnival were often against Wynnum Manly and Western Downs.

The Warwick and Southern Downs team will be captained by William Gross (Warwick) and Clayton Townsend (Stanthorpe).

Jesse Scanlan is one second-generation player; his father Kerry Scanlan played U43kg rugby league. While the majority of the team play club footy for Collegians, there are players from Eastern Suburbs and Stanthorpe clubs.

Wednesday is sports carnival day with two games on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and a final game on Friday.

TEAM: Outside backs: Samuel Wainwright, David Williams, Jamaine Smith, Blair Olsen, Ryan Fischer, Jackson Riley.

Halves/Hooker: Jack Talbot, Clayton Townsend, Bevan Costello, Jesse Scanlan.

Back row: Julius Richards, William Gross, Matthew Watt.

Front row: Maxwell Wilkinson, Carge Martin-Brown, Thomas Doherty, Jack Rossiter.