Many shrewd pundits see this Sunday’s Group XI grand final between Parkes Spacemen and Dubbo CYMS as a battle that will be won and lost in the forwards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The side who can limit the opposition’s go forward will go a long way towards securing the 2015 premiership.
Parkes enjoys a very strong forward pack led by the irrepressible Brandon Tago.
The former Sydney Roosters and Queensland Under 20s player has been a revelation this season.
Tago is a hard running back rower with the ball skills of a half-back.
He has consistently opened up opposition defences with improbable off-loads leading to many long range tries or at the least, putting his side firmly on the front foot.
Tago is a big match player who could prove the difference between two evenly matched teams on Sunday.
He will be joined in the forward pack by Jordan Pope and Ben Nash.
The two props have figured in Man of the Match calculations on a regular basis this season.
Pope has been one of the form props in the Group this season and has an uncanny knack for crossing the try line.
He has matured this season, although he is still only young.
Nash, a member of the successful NSW Police Blues team which won a tri-series against QLD Police and Affiliated States Police sides.
Since joining the Spacemen last season, Nash’s enthusiasm and hard work has proven contagious amongst the Spacemen engine room.
He has been in great form this season and will hope to continue in that vein in Sunday’s grand final.
When talking of hard working Spacemen forwards, you can not go past Epi Sadrodro.
The Fijian is the workhorse of the Parkes pack and gets through a mountain of work in both attack and defence.
Look for him to tackle anything that moves in his direction in the grand final as he rarely misses.
Tongan pair Dave Masoe and Tino Ionatana, fresh from international duties earlier in the season, are a mountain of strength.
Like Pope, stocky hooker Tino scores his fair share of four pointers which saw him named joint Group XI Player of the Year in 2014.
While he has not quite reached those heights this season, the rake has shown glimpses of his best in recent matches and could provide the spark the Spacemen need to get over the top of CYMS in the decider.
Masoe is a big prop who takes some bringing down.
He could prove crucial to the Parkes forwards getting a roll on which will allow the backs the space they need to be a potent attacking weapon.
Youngsters Billy Burns and Ethan McKellar will provide an impact off the bench.
It will be Burns’ last game as a Spacemen before he heads down to join Penrith Panthers ahead of next year’s SG Cup competition.
McKellar looks likely to combine with Pope as the future of the Spacemen pack.
If the Spacemen forwards play to their potential they will prove a tough task for CYMS to handle and provide the platform the side requires to win the big one.
