A PLAYER bearing the name of a former NRL fan favourite will be tasked with getting Dubbo Westside’s finals campaign back on track on Friday night.
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The Rabbitohs are without a win in 2016 and will welcome fellow strugglers Wellington to Caltex Park in a rare Group 11 match under lights.
Coach Robbie Dunn is desperate for his side to start winning and he hopes newest signing Joshua Trindall can help inspire his side to victory over the Cowboys.
Trindall is a relative of former South Sydney and Canterbury player Darrell Trindall and shares the same nickname of “Tricky” with his more famous family member.
Trindall made his debut of the bench in the Rabbitohs’ last match but will run out in the halves against Wellington.
“He’s earned his spot and he brings some flair which we have been lacking,” Dunn said, before speaking about both sides’ need to win at Caltex.
“We’re very much the same and we need to start winning games too.
“It’s getting to that stage of the year if you’ve set goals of making finals and now it looks like we can only make fourth or fifth.”
The match was moved to Caltex Park after council shut No. 1 Oval in order to protect it with so much rain predicted for the weekend.
Both Westside and Wellington are winless after the opening six rounds but the Rabbitohs have pushed teams at times.
They went closing to breaking their duck against Parkes in round four but Dunn is hopeful of better results now his new-look team is getting comfortable playing together.
“CYMS, Macquarie, Parkes and Forbes, they’ve all gelled together over a few years and we’re just starting to get some good combinations,” he said.
“We’ve got the players, we’ve got good players who would get a start in any other side in Group 11.”
One of the players Dunn referred to is Just Shillingsworth.
The hard-running Shillingsworth has been one of the Rabbitohs best since their return to the competition in 2014.
“I was very surprised he didn’t make the Group side,” he said.
“his work-rate is unbelievable and he’s the kind of players coaches would love to see heaps of.
“Players like that have the knowledge and experience and with a lot of young guys in the team they need to take the reins and be the role models.”
The action at Caltex Park begins with the League Tag at 5pm on Friday with first grade expected to kick-off at 8.30pm.