In 2015 the Brendon ‘Stubby’ Collits Memorial game saw St Pat’s face the Forbes Magpies as defending champions of their Group competition.
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Two years down the track the shoe is on the other foot.
At Ashwood Park on Saturday the Saints will meet defending Group 11 premiers Forbes Magpies in the highly valued pre-season clash.
The memorial match celebrates the life of the Magpies and Saints player who died in a car accident in 2013.
Despite the home ground advantage Pat’s will go into the game as underdogs given the title currently sitting next to the Magpies’ name.
However, the home side has always triumphed since the inaugural match in 2014.
Saints will be eager to take the game to the Magpies this year after going down in last season’s match 38-16.
Pat’s coach Kurt Hancock said his team will give it their all, as a win in the memorial fixture can sometimes bode well for the season ahead.
Saturday’s game is a chance for two different types of Saints to showcase what they’ve got – the new recruits and the youngsters.
"This will be a good test for our young guys, who have the opportunity to come up and have a crack. If you can get your values right from the opening game then you can take that and build on it for the rest of the season,” Hancock said.
"We'll have Greg Behan and Chris Shephard across from Panthers. Then there's other guys who have come across like Jack Grant and Matt Ranse as well.
"Stubby was renowned for putting in 100 per cent effort at training and on the field, and we want to do the same for him this match."
Magpies won the inaugural clash with a 24-18 result before Pat’s struck back the follow year in a hard-fought 20-18 victory.
With last year’s win Forbes currently hold a 2-1 lead head-to-head in the memorial clash.
Magpies stunned Group 11 last year with their upset victory in the grand final over Dubbo CYMS.
Hancock the strength of the Magpies lineup makes Saturday’s game the ideal pre-season test.
"Their captain-coach Jake Grace is an outstanding player and so is Zac Merritt. Those two guys can take them forward through the middle," he said.
"There's a lot of talented young guys there too ... who give them a lot in attack.
"What we're all about in this game is going out there with the right attitude. It gives us a chance to see what our depth will be like for the season.
"Forbes are Group 11 premiers and we have to show them respect. It's a chance for us to blow the cobwebs out and get ourselves ready for the season ahead."
The league tag match gets the day’s play underway from 1pm. Under 18s will follow at 2pm.
The senior game and main event will start from 3.15pm, played in four quarters of 20 minutes.