That will all change on Saturday when the former Super Rugby player lines up for the Orange Emus in their second round clash against Forbes.

"There's definitely a few nerves," he said.

"Given that I haven't played for five years I don't know what I'll be like.

"I'll definitely be lacking in a bit of fitness and just getting used to contact again should be interesting.

"I'm looking forward to getting out there again and getting the first 10 or 15 minutes under the belt and knowing what I'm in for for the season."

Roberts played 14 games for the Melbourne Rebels between 2013 and 2014, alongside such names as James O'Connor and Scott Higginbotham.

Originally from Gunnedah, Roberts and his wife were keen to move out of Sydney and Orange seemed like the perfect place.

"The main reason I joined the club was I had a few friends down there that were playing, so I thought I'd wander down and get a little bit of fitness under my belt as it's been a while since I've played rugby.

"It's been really enjoyable and everyone has been really welcoming. A lot of pretty handy players and looks like quite a good culture to be a part of."

Following his departure from the Rebels, Roberts played a couple of years with Sydney University in the Shute Shield.

But a jam-packed training schedule combined with a full time job made the versatile back put the boots on ice for a bit.

"I always said that if I do move back to the country I'd like to have at least a season and a run around to meet a few people in town," he added.

"I hope I can contribute in some way. I play a mixture of positions at 10 and 15 and from what I've heard and seen, we have a lot of good players across the park so I just hope I can contribute in some form or another.

"I'm just focusing on getting out there at the moment and getting a game under the belt. I haven't played for a while so I don't want to set expectations too high."

The match on Saturday against Forbes - who won their opener - will be played at Endeavour Oval, with first grade kicking off at 3.15pm.

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