FOR much of this season it has looked like the Parkes Spacemen would struggle to defend the Group 11 title they won in 2013 but after scoring more than 200 points in their past three matches, captain-coach Pat Rosser admits his side is starting to near its best again.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Spacemen struggled with player availability and injury for much of the first half of the season but have found their spark in recent weeks, piling on 92, 40 and then 70 points against Westside, Forbes and Narromine respectively.
This form has caught the attention of the rest of the Group and Rosser said it was pleasing to see his side perform the way he knew they could.
"There's no two ways about it, we were pretty ordinary for the first half of the season and we weren't playing the quality of footy we wanted to be but the boys worked hard and chipped away and we're starting to get a bit of continuity," he said.
"We've got a few good wins under the belt, they have been against some understrength teams in Westside and Narromine but it's important to be winning this time of the year."
The Spacemen travel to Dubbo this Sunday to take on third-placed Macquarie and a win at Caltex Park would guarantee Rosser's men a home preliminary semi-final against the Nyngan Tigers.
A loss could see the Spacemen head to Nyngan in the first week of the finals but Rosser said his side was not thinking about the finals yet and was purely focused on Macquarie and continuing to improve.
"Ball control is a big thing, creating pressure and then getting to your kick and getting in good field position, the big games aren't won with the big fancy plays, they're won by the team who builds pressure and converts those half opportunities," he said.
Another positive for the Spacemen, and something which will make rivals nervous, is the fact they have recorded the recent dominant wins without their experienced star Dennis Moran.
Moran has been battling a hamstring injury and is yet to return to full fitness but Rosser is hopeful the mercurial half will be back in action come finals time to add more spark to an already confident team.
"We've still got three or four players out, Dennis' hammy is a bit crook but we're hoping he'll be back in the next week or so," he said.
"We've got some really dangerous and elusive players who can put the points on but we need to keep working on the ball control, defence and our urgency but there's a really positive feel in the camp and it's always enjoyable putting a few points on."
The Parkes Spacemen currently sit fourth, equal with the Nyngan Tigers but ahead on percentages.
