New Holland Cup: Dubbo Rhinos will face Parkes Boars to meet in preliminary final

Smith and the Rhinos will be back on the road on Saturday when they face the Parkes Boars at Pioneer Oval with a New Holland Cup grand final spot on the line.

Fresh off a 21-20 victory over Narromine, the Rhinos have a new-found confidence and Smith is looking forward to playing more finals rugby.

"I'm pretty confident, especially with the way the boys played on the weekend," he said.

"I was pretty happy with how the boys played and really proud of how they pulled through.

"But that's the thing when you play against Parkes they are a completely different side and you've got to treat them with a lot of respect because you never know what you are going to get out of them."

A final-minute try from Josh Hill followed by a Dale Smith conversion sealed the win for Doug Sandry's men.

For Smith and other members of the developing forward pack, the minor semi-final was their biggest match in seniors.

Over recent weeks the spring weather has come early and the weekend has been soaked in sun, a big difference from the regular winter conditions.

Playing in hotter conditions, Smith admitted Sunday's game tested the fitness levels of the group.

"It was a tough gig, we are coming out of the cold time of year into the hotter stuff," he said.

"All of the boys were really feeling the heat on Sunday but we pulled through and got the result we wanted."

Parkes were only minutes away from qualifying and hosting the grand final in their match against Mudgee last week.

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The major semi-final finished in a draw and the two sides couldn't be split after extra time, with Mudgee advancing due to finishing higher.

Having seen bits and pieces of Parkes' match, Smith confessed this weekend could be another tough one.

"Look at Parkes, the contest they had against Mudgee on the weekend," he said.

"They tied it up with 12 players on the field, I'm surprised they did so well."

"We just have to take it as it comes but it would be a nice feeling to get one back on them."

Saturday's match at Pioneer Oval will begin at 3:15pm.

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