Bathurst Panthers forward McCoy White believes pre-season work will pay-off big time

Panthers have welcomed a host of new and returning players to the squad for the upcoming 2023 Peter McDonald Premiership season, including Nicholas Tilburg, Tye Siakisoni, Jackson Vallis, Zac Hunt and Doug Hewitt.

The club has already enjoyed success in 2023, having won the Bathurst Panthers Knockout on Saturday, March 11, against local rivals St Pat's.

White believes his team will enjoy further success throughout the season, due to the work of the team during the pre-season.

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"We've had a consistent group of boys at training and everyone has been showing up and putting in, I reckon," he said.

"I reckon we've got a really good group this season and everyone is just buying in. Happy days there, I reckon.

"The new guys Jake Betts has brought in are really handy. It's pretty hand to have someone like Doug Hewitt back in the colours. Everyone is buying in, really is really good."

While White won't take part of this Saturday's trial match against the Woy Woy Roosters, he believes the game against the Central Coast club will help finalise Panthers' first grade roster.

"It'll give a lot of fellas who didn't get a run in the knockout, to give them a run," he said.

"I think it'll help to finalise the squad of this, come round one.

"It's going to be good test against Woy Woy.

"It's a really good comp, that Central Coast comp. We're looking forward to it and it'll really test it."

White said players like the aforementioned Hunt, Siakisoni and Hewitt have all been working hard in training.

"They've been the standouts so far," he said.

"You've obviously got the two normal ones too: Jed and Jake Betts."

Panthers' first grade will play Woy Woy at Diggings Oval at Charles Sturt University at 5pm.

Early in the day at 3pm, Lithgow Workies will play Woy Woy's reserve grade team.

Players will have to battle the elements on Saturday, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a high of 34 degrees, with the temperature to hit its maximum just around the time first grade kicks-off.

Panthers will start its Peter McDonald Premiership next month, with an away trip to last year's grand finalists Dubbo CYMS at Apex Oval on the weekend of April 15-16.

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