ZAC Merritt is not shy to admit St Pat's have not lived up to their Group 10 premier league expectations since he made his return to the club, but that disappointment is something he will use to drive the playing group in 2020.
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The Saints have not played finals football in the top grade since 2016 - the same year Merritt was part of the Forbes Magpies side which found Group 11 glory.
After ending his first stint as a Saint following season 2013, Merritt spent four years with the Magpies. He returned to the blue and whites at the start of 2018 with high hopes, but the Bathurst club has struggled since then.
They have won just nine of 32 games - Merritt bluntly saying "we've certainly under performed".
But Merritt and the Saints committee are determined to improve - and improve markedly - on that for 2020.
Merritt will not only be a critical member of the forward pack, but coach the Saints, and since he signed up as mentor has been working with club officials to bolster the playing roster. He wanted more forwards, a fullback, a centre and a halfback.
Half those boxes have been ticked already. Lee McClintock, who can play fullback or centre, signed last week after spending the last two years with Cowra.
"When I sat down with the committee and had a chat we spoke about speed, which is something we felt was lacking the last couple of years and when the big fella [McClintock] moved into town, we approached him and got him on board," Merritt said.
"He was in the top two or three in the player of Group 10 for this year, so it's great to have him.
"He brings a lot of experience, he played around 150 games up in Newcastle and that's the pinnacle comp of Country Rugby League. He won a premiership, so he's going to bring that experience to us."
McClintock was not the only one to put pen to paper last week. Former Saint James Baillie - who made his premier league debut for the club while still at under 18s level in 2006 - has returned.
He will join another returning Pat's talent, premiership winner Luke Single, in the forward pack.
"He's starting to look pretty good now Bails. I know he's been out of it for a year, but he'll bring that older head and again that experience," Merritt said.
"He was at the Titans, so he's got all the NRL attributes. He's really excited to come back.
"Nearly everything is sorted for us, Lee's put pen to paper and hopefully we get the other couple of players we are talking to. That will be us done then and all it's up to us blokes to put in the hard work and make it happen on the field. We will start training in January."
