Last year's runners-up may have leaked 130 points and scored just one try in their two losses this season, but they insist they can resurrect their title hopes.

Forget the player drain and forget being thumped by Queanbeyan and Tuggeranong.

Easts believe they are capable of matching it with any team in the competition and they intend to prove it against Wests at Griffith Oval today.

Just three players Adi Ison, John Duggan and Jim Crompton remain from the team that lost to Queanbeyan 22-17 in the grand final last year.

And Crompton backed the squad to bounce back to its best against Wests.

''The enthusiasm and spirit is there, it's just the application that is letting us down at the moment,'' Crompton said.

''It's a tough phase that the club's going through, we were always prepared for it to be tough.

''Absolutely we can turn it around, we think we can win every game if we play our best football.''

Retirement, rugby league and injuries have seen the club lose the majority of its first XV players from last year.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times