Col Fuller laments the fact he didn’t have the strongest Westside team at his disposal last weekend but is keen to challenge Parkes on Sunday after a number of talents were named to return.
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Prop and forwards leader Tyrone Blanchette headlines the inclusions for this weekend’s clash at No. 1 Oval while half Jon Newman and powerful outside back Anthony Toomey also return.
Last weekend the Rabbitohs showed fight and an ability to score points but still went down 50-36 to the Wellington Cowboys.
Fuller went as far as saying his side would have easily accounted for Wellington had the returning trio played last week.
“They’re three big inclusions, especially Ty who is really one of our go-forward men,” he said.
“And Anthony Toomey in the centres will go well for us and we already have a strong back row with Colt Tairua and Brayden Peachey.”
The motivation for Westside is simple heading into the final four rounds of the Group 11 regular season.
The men in red and green are still yet to win a match this season but have showed glimpses of promise time and time again.
Fuller wasn’t reading too much into the form of the Parkes Spacemen, a side which slipped from second to fourth after last weekend’s loss to Dubbo CYMS, instead opting to focus on his own side.
And the biggest thing the coach wants from his side is a continuation of the improvements in discipline the side has shown in recent weeks.
While there has still been the odd issue, Peacehy’s sin-binning against CYMS recently one of those, Fuller said things have got better while also urging for his side to stay switched on for the full 80 minutes.
“At the end of the day, if we can hang in there going into the last 10 or 15 minutes of each half then we’ll be in the game,” he said.
“We’ve worked on our discipline and we can’t blame the ref but I think we’ve got a caning sometimes. But I do think we’ve been better the last few weeks and if we can be playing football at the end then we’ll be thereabouts.”
Fuller said he was looking forward to the match, which will be played at Caltex Park rather than the Rabbitohs’ regular home ground of No. 1 Oval.
The Spacemen will start as hot favourites, with last weekend’s result being just the third match Dennis Moran’s side has lost this season.
Halfback Chad Porter, who scored in last weekend’s 42-22 defeat, has been key to the Spacies’ hopes all season and will be again against the Rabbitohs.
Porter and his side stuck it to the Fishies for long periods last weekend but fell away late, and there’s no doubt Moran will be out to correct that.
The action at Caltex Park on Sunday starts with the league tag at 11am.