The Illawarriors claimed the trophy with a 37-15 victory over Central West in the 2018 final and Thompson said many of those players have returned in 2019.

While some players have moved on, Thompson is looking forward to seeing the new faces mix in with those returning from last year.

"The side has a number of players from last year with a good mix of new guys coming through, it's the best side that we can put together," Thompson said.

"It's been a good transition with some of the older guys moving out and some of the new guys coming in. Apart from experience, the skills, fitness and awareness of the new guys is at the same level of the guys going out."

Read more: Illawarra juniors preparing for NSW Junior Rugby Union Championships

The Illawarra campaign opens with a semi-final against Central Coast at Tamworth's Scully Park, the winner to play the winner of the other semi-final between Central West and Mid North Coast on Sunday afternoon.

For Thompson, his team is focused purely on getting past Central Coast before they consider Sunday's final.

"We've got to get over Central Coast, they're an unpredictable side the Central Coast. They traditionally come with a big set of forwards, but the last three to four years their rugby hasn't been up to their normal standard.

"We hear that they've got a new group of players coming through, so we don't know what to expect."

The Illawarra colts and women's teams will also contest the Country Championships this weekend, with the women's competition reverting to a 15-a-side format for 2019.

It will be the colts who kick off Illawarra's campaign, with the boys featuring in the first match of the weekend when they face Mid North Coast at 8am on Saturday.

A second clash with Newcastle/Hunter will follow later in the day, with the team hoping to top their pool and qualify for Sunday morning's final.

The under 19 colts side is a young squad, with many of the boys representing the Illawarra under 18s at last month's Junior Country Championships.

The women have been grouped with Central West and Central North in Pool A of the women's competition, with Hunter, Mid North Coast and Central Coast sitting in Pool B.

The Illawarra side will play Central North in their opening match, before they take on Central West on Saturday afternoon.

The winner of each pool will face off in Sunday's final.

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