Captain-coach Zac Merritt labels Bathurst St Pat's new backline the best in Peter McDonald Premiership

St Pat's coach Zac Merritt has revealed his plan to deploy Brien at fullback to start season 2023 after he was one of the standouts of the inaugural Peter McDonald Premiership in jumper number four.

Brien scored eight tries at centre for the Saints last year and that's the position he filled for the Western Rams as well.

But Brien has proven himself at fullback in the past. When playing that role previously for Oberon in Group 10 premier league he was just as damaging.

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Merritt's plan to shift Brien adds to the new halves pairing of Willie Wright and Noah Griffiths, plus hooker and former Forbes teammates of the captain-coach Hayden Bolam in the Saints spine.

Given Bolam was named the 2022 Group 10 player of the year and both Wright and Griffiths are premiership winners and have experience playing alongside each other as Bathurst Panthers, it's clear to see why Merritt has a big opinion of their combination.

"Jackson Brien is going back to fullback, we've got the best hooker in the group and possibly the two best halves in the group as well. Which is exciting," Merritt said.

"I think we'll have the best spine in the Peter McDonald Premiership.

"We've signed what we needed, no disrespect to the two halves we had last year, they done a good job, but now we have two genuine halves that know the game and have been to NRL clubs and won premierships.

"They both know how to win games and that's what we needed."

Though there's no doubting the talent the Saints will have in those four key positions of fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker, it's not the only handy spine in the Peter McDonald Premiership.

Defending premiers Forbes are set to retain their combination of star fullback Mitch Andrews, Jordan Hartwig, Nick Greenhalgh and Toby Hurford.

Similarly, season 2022 runners up Dubbo CYMS are likely to be strong again with the likes of Brad Pickering, Alex Bonham and Jordi Madden involved while Jeremy Thurston could also slot in at fullback.

While it remains to be seen which spine is the best spine, the Saints have also secured a massive off-field recruit to help them in 2023 in the form of Kevin Grimshaw.

Grimshaw is the man who guided the Saints to Group 10 premier league glory in 2008 and he's won two grand finals with the club's under 18s as well.

For the past two years he's coached Canowindra in the Woodbridge Cup and guided the Panorama Platypi opens to twin Western Women's Rugby League titles.

Merritt is delighted to have a coach of Grimshaw's calibre to assist him.

"I won Western Rams 18s with him and played under him a few times, his credentials speak for themselves. To have him on board this year, he's been instrumental already with some of the young boys," he said.

"He's just footy.

"It's my squad, but it's just as much his squad as well, so we'll be putting our heads together, nutting things out, working out our best squad each week and see where that takes us.

"Hopefully a few more spots than we did last year."

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