Last year’s grand finalisits, the red, white and blues will trek to Spooner Oval on Saturday to take on the fourth-placed Forbes Magpies in the first grade elimination semi-final.

It’s the second week in a row Moran’s men will take on the Magpies in Forbes, with last week’s final regular season round going to the hosts in a thriller, 22-20.

The former NRL pivot said “my boys are confident” after the two point defeat – put simply, they have to be or they’ll be going home empty handed.

“It’s the finals and it’s a new level of footy … we have to rise to that,” Moran said.

”It’s an attitude thing really. If we go into the game just expecting to win, then we’ll end up bowing out all together.

“We’ve got to concentrate on what we’ve done well to get to this point, and that’s completing well and building pressure.

“If we prepare well, then you can’t beat that.”

Two weeks out from the finals the Spacemen occupied second on the ladder, with their final round, two-point defeat to Forbes and a penultimate round, 26-4 loss to minor premiers CYMS skidding Parkes to fifth.

Taking the positives out of the slide, Moran said such a close competition meant any team in the top five can make a run at this year’s grand final.

He was determined to help Parkes be one of those sides, even if it will be without a stack of talent, namely Western Rams backrower Bendan Tago, who moved home to Queensland mid-season.

“You do (miss those players), but we’ve got a number of guys who aren’t there at the moment,” Moran said.

“Jordan Pope is out injured, he’s a really dynamic player for us and Joss Cleal broke his arm against CYMS.

“It’s a test, but the 18s guys who’ve stepped up have done the job to this point and they’ll get another opportunity in Forbes.”

Saturday’s games begin with League Tag at 10.30am between Parkes and Forbes, which is a qualifying semi-final.

The reserve grade elimination semi-final is between Nyngan and Parkes, while the curtain raiser to first grade will be the under-18 minor semi-final Dubbo derby between CYMS and Macquarie.

First grade is scheduled for a 2pm kick-off.