Jordi Madden won't let a new halves partner and a vastly-changed forward pack stop him from playing his natural game when Dubbo CYMS travels to Cowra on Saturday.
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The Peter McDonald Premiership frontrunners will again be without the injured Alex Bonham while leading forwards Ben Marlin and Billy Sing are out of town and unavailable for the meeting with a Magpies side dealing with an injury crisis.
Bonham went down with a hamstring injury in the warm-up prior to last round's win over Parkes and Fletcher Haycock has been promoted from the bench to five-eighth in his absence this weekend.
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Haycock is someone more accustomed to coming off the bench and causing havoc with his running game from hooker and Madden said the young halves will stick to what they do best at Sid Kallas Oval.
"I just play the game I play every week and I'll let little Fletch Haycock do his thing," Madden said.
"He's a pretty crafty player so I'll just keep directing them around and let Fletch run the ball.
"He's a very, very strong runner so I'll let him do his thing."
Having featured mainly at fullback as a bit-part player for the CYMS first grade side last season, Madden has made the number seven jersey his own in 2022.
Being tasked with the job of leading around one of the most successful bush footy sides in recent years at 21 years of age would be a daunting task for any player, and while it's been challenging at times for Madden he said the experienced players around him have made it easy to settle.
"Coming from fullback last year into the number seven, I felt like I had heaps (of pressure) on my shoulders but I've got to give a lot of credit to Jarryn (Powyer), Benny Marlin, Jyie Chapman and those boys have really helped me to guide the side around.
"It's a pretty easy side to tell what to do, they listen, so it makes my job a lot easier.
"It's just about using your voice and getting people to listen. It all should work then and I think it has, it's just been a bit scrappy."
A win at Cowra this weekend will guarantee top spot in the Group 11 pool for CYMS and Madden admitted his side's dominant run of form this season has come as a bit of a surprise given off-season changes at the club and the quality of the other teams in the Peter McDonald Premiership.
CYMS has gone on a run of 12 straight wins since a round one loss to Orange Hawks and while they currently have the best record of any team in the competition the side was below its best at Parkes last weekend.
The Fishies will start as big favourites against an injury-ravaged Magpies side that has just two wins to its name but Madden, echoing the thoughts of coach Shawn Townsend last round, said his side just wants to keep improving.
"You've still got to turn up and play your best footy. We've been scrappy the last week or two but we hope we can put a full 80-minute performance in this weekend," he said.
Coach Townsend has shuffled his forward pack in the absence of Marlin and Sing, with Tom Stimpson and Jaymn Cleary called in to the starting side while Jayden Merritt shifts from lock to second-row.
Sullivan Haycock has been added to the bench for the game.
Kick-off at Cowra's Sid Kallas Oval is at 12.15pm.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
