They'll team up for Group 11 next week but first Parkes gun Chad Porter and Forbes five-eighth Mitch Burke will doing everything they can to one-up the other on Sunday.
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The two representative halves will face off in the annual June long weekend Parkes and Forbes derby at Pioneer Oval, the pair named to then combine for the red and black first grade team against Group 10 the following weekend at Forbes.
Burke starred this time last year, leading the Magpies to an 18-6 victory over Parkes, but the year prior it was Porter that tore the black and whites apart, running in four tries in the Spacemen's 28-18 win over the then premiers in 2017.
Burke says he can't wait to take on his old sparring partner again on Sunday.
"I actually live over in Parkes and I'm pretty good mates with a few of them. This is as big as it gets, though, aside from the grand final," he said.
... they seem to grow an extra leg over there.
- Forbes five-eighth Mitch Burke on Parkes.
"It doesn't matter what their form is like, they seem to grow an extra leg over there.
"If we can't get up for this game we may as well give it away."
Burke said the premiers were keen to produce a good showing, especially after a third home loss of the 2019 season last weekend against Wellington.
"We've been strong at home but that 10 minutes after half-time we shoot ourselves in the foot. We're not staying in the grind and that's something we need to fix," he added.
Parkes will be similarly desperate following a surprise loss to Macquarie in Dubbo but Porter believes the Spacemen will rise to the occasion on Sunday.
"We're pumped," Porter said.
"Everyone gets pumped for this game - it always draws a big crowd and just 'cause it's Forbes.
"Forbes normally have a big forward pack so we want to slow them down a bit.
It's better off (missing them) now than later in the season.
- Chad Porter on the absence of star duo Sam Dwyer and Brandon Tago.
"We need to complete our sets and cut down on our errors.
"This is a big one for us, we just haven't played good this year, we've made that many errors."
Which is a task made somewhat harder by the losses of Sam Dwyer and Brandon Tago, but the Spacemen skipper remained philosophical about the absence of the Parkes stars.
"It's better off (missing them) now than later in the season," Porter said.
Porter added Brandon Paige, Jacob Smede and Jake Porter have been terrific for the first grade side so far this season and he expects the trio to fire in Sunday's derby.
The home side will wear special Captain America jerseys and auction them off at the end of the day.
The lower grades will feature some great clashes with the juniors a top-of-the-table match between the red-hot Magpies and a courageous Spacies side that pulled off a miracle comeback with 11 players against a full strength Macquarie last week.
The league tag will see teams two-versus-three with Parkes the defending premiers rebounding last week after their first loss in the week prior.
No doubt the reserve grade match will be a willing contest, with a congested ladder adding greater emphasis on a victory against the old foes.
Kick-off at Pioneer Oval will be at 11am.