A deep dive into the St Pat's 2023 Peter McDonald Premiership squad

After the Saints ended their six year wait to reach another top grade finals series they've patched up parts of their squad and given promising under 18s and 21s a shot in the senior side.

We caught up with Saints' player-coach Zac Merritt to take a look through his full starting side for the upcoming season, which begins this Saturday at home against the Nyngan Tigers.

THE excitement machine of St Pat's now has even more time and space to show what he can do.

Formerly utilised as a centre, Brien now finds himself with the number one on his back again, which Merritt believes is going to unlock the best of his game.

"He'll be good at the back there for us. He's been playing in the centres for us for the past few years so we wanted to inject him into the game a little more and get him to pop up on both sides of the field," he said.

"We need him involved in the game because you can't have a player of his quality sitting out there waiting for the ball to come to him. We want him in the game.

"He played fullback for Oberon and has played a couple of games for us there but we've mostly had him at centre. We'll let him establish himself out at the back and inject himself into the game when he wants to."

IT'S all about the young blood on the wings for Pat's this year.

There's not a ton of senior experience between Poole and Edwards but they've already shown that they're two exceptionally talented footballers at the junior level.

It's now about how well in can translate against tougher opponents.

"Pooley played in the under 18s grand final last year and an opportunity popped up for him to play this year for us," Merritt said.

"With Lee McClintock leaving it's opened up a spot for him to jump onto the wing. He's eager to go and he's got speed to burn. That's why we put him out there.

"Tyrese is a Pat's junior who's just come back from playing some SG Ball up in Newcastle. He is playing out of position a little bit but we've got full belief in him to do a job for us because he's got such a good football brain."

ANOTHER area where the Saints will look different in 2023 will be their centre pairing.

They'll have a recent Western Under 21s premiership-winning pair filling those spots, with Cosgrove enjoying more title success with Pat's after his time in the Penrith Panthers' SG Ball squad and Beattie coming into the centres after great showings there earlier this year.

"Ash is a natural centre. He gets a crack in his favourite position and he's got plenty of strike in him," Merritt said.

"Matt's impressed us right through the whole pre-season. He's in his second year of footy. We had him on the wing last year but we were watching the 21s closely, where Tyson [Medlyn, coach] had him in the centres and he gets an opportunity there for us."

MUCH has been said and written about the former Bathurst Panthers pair making the move to the Saints in the off season.

The simple fact is this: It gives the Saints their first genuine halves pairing for quite some time, and a duo who already know what it's like to direct traffic alongside one another.

"The beauty of it is that they've played together before, so they know how each other plays," Merritt said.

"We've wanted genuine halves to come on board for a few years. We've got that now. These guys are probably the two best halves in the comp. It's now our job through the middle to lay a platform for them to play good footy.

"They're both such good communicators and they have such a good attitude. Noah's only 21 but the way he talks at training you'd think he's a lot older than what he is.

"Willie's so influential. He doesn't speak all the time, but when he does all the boys listen because he's got a lot of knowledge."

THE Saints' starting props are the ultimate youth and experience mixture.

Merritt will be a the workhorse leader from the front and, alongside him, will be a player who he believes could be one of the big performers in 2023.

"This could be his breakout year. In the knockout he was massive and he didn't miss a beat," he said.

"Over at Forbes he got player of the game, where he ripped in again.

"He scored a try in the semi-final last year and I think it really awoke the bear, so I expect you'll see some big things from him this year."

HE was the star of the show for the Saints on their path towards the PMP finals last year and there's no reason why Bolam won't continue to be the man to watch for Pat's again.

With the Saints' new combination at six and seven Merritt expects Western Rams representative Bolam to gain a little more freedom in his role this year.

"Haydo speaks for himself. He's coming off the back of finishing runner-up in the Peter McDonald Premiership player of year, which he was unlucky not to get to be honest," Merritt said.

"He's been awesome throughout the pre-season. He's come back super fit, as he did last year, and he always turns up and does his job each week.

"I think having these two halves in the squad will also take the pressure off him and allow him to play his role a little bit more."

WARDMAN is set to enjoy more match time in the second row this season for Pat's while Mawhinney jumps into this role after spending much of 2022 at lock.

Merritt's hopeful that the pair will become a regular combination at 11 and 12 for the Saints, given what they've shown in the pre-season.

"Caleb's a Pat's junior who's an absolute weapon and a game breaker. There were a couple of times last year where we needed something and he stood up," he said.

"I remember back in round one last year in Parkes with the game on the line he made a break of 50 metres and scored. His attitude's been great through pre-season. We'll be leaning on him in some big moments to break the game open.

"Az is in our leadership group with Jackson Brien and Luke Single and has been awesome. He comes in off an injury at the back end of last season ... but has come back looking super fit again.

"He's playing in a different position and I have to commend him because he's taken it well and he's learning the edge on an edge."

ONE of the mainstays of the club gets a return to his best position this season.

Single misses the opener this Saturday but upon his return he's sure to be one of the most enthusiastic players on both sides of the ball for Pat's.

"It's his favourite position. He's won premierships up in the Newcastle comp there and I thought it was only right to put him back there," Merritt said.

"Luke's a natural lock. He pops up everywhere and pushes on everything. He'll be instrumental when he gets back there.

"For this weekend Cooper Ackroyd's there, coming off the under 21s win. He's a big body and a very similar sort of player to Luke."

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