The man who has consistently been amongst the Bathurst Bulldogs’ best in the Blowes Clothing Cup at Number 8 this season will fill the hooking role for the Cockatoos.

It was a discussion with Dean Oxley, both his club coach and the Central West opens mentor, ahead of this year’s Country Championships that led to Fitzsimmons changing his on-field job.

“I played a lot of my juniors at hooker and with Dean Oxley at Central West, he coached me as a junior so he knew I could play that role,” Fitzsimmons explained.

“We saw an opportunity in the Country team with a few of the Country hookers on the way out and the Country back rowers are very solid and are going to be there for a few more years.

“So we talked about having time at hooker for Central West at the carnival and showing I could perform there as well as in the back row. Lucky our plan worked.

“I really enjoy that hooker role, it’s just at club level we’ve got some good hookers so there’s no need for me to play there at club level. I’m not the typical Number 8, I’m not quite big enough, but I slot in well at hooker.”

Fitzsimmons managed to impress enough for the Blue Bulls as hooker to be named in the initial NSW Country training squad.

He then further impressed at a camp at Singleton last month and made the final 23-man Cockatoos squad. It was another highlight in a year which has already seen him crack the 100 first grade appearances milestone for Bulldogs.

“It has been a big season, very big,” he said.

“It’s very exciting, I’ve played Central West since I came out of Central West colts and it’s always been the goal – to get a Country jersey.

“I’ve had five years for Central West and now I’ve finally got that Country jersey.”

The Cockatoos will take on ACT Brumbies Provincial this Sunday at Camden, with Fitzsimmons one of five Central West players in the squad.

Mahe Fangupo (Forbes), Tom Green (Orange Emus), Chris Miller (Cowra) and Dan Ryan (Parkes) also made the cut.

“It will be exciting to see what they are like. I watched that game two years ago, Country versus ACT, when they played at Bathurst, so it will be good to play in that game this year,” Fitzsimmons said.

“It will be good to be playing at the highest level in country rugby. I will then try and keep my level of football high and play to the same standard as representative level when I return to my club.

“It will help having the other Central West boys there, especially being at hooker and having our big second rowers jumping. I throw to them for Central West, so it will be much easier learning line out calls ... knowing their jumping style.”

Fitzsimmons is not the only player with a Bathurst connection who will make their Country debut on Sunday, with CSU’s Lachie Buckton set to do so for the Cockatoos Colts in the front row. They will play Gen Blue.

The action will begin with that colts fixture, which kicks off at 10am at Camden Rugby Club.