CSU coach Dave Conyers recruits his son Lachlan for clash with defending premiers Parkes

If he is forced to watch the live stream from his bed for the second week in succession he will do so with the knowledge that someone with previous experience in the number 10 jumper will be stepping in for him.

CSU coach Dave Conyers has recruited his son Lachlan for not only this Saturday's clash against defending premiers Parkes, but for the remainder of the season.

"Lachlan has just got back from overseas, so he's coming home to play rugby for us," Conyers said.

"He's normally a fullback-winger, but he has played five-eighth a bit so we might put him in there. He's got a fair of experience, he played 140 games for Wollongong University and he's played overseas.

"Last week we tried a young fella from Scots, young Ollie Townsend, he hadn't played five-eighth for a fair while but then he got hurt real early."

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Having the experience of Lachlan Conyers will be a big boost for CSU, but Cusick would still rather be leading the students against Parkes at University Oval than being bed-ridden.

The Parkes game was one Cusick had been eagerly anticipating given the Boars were the side CSU was to play in last season's cancelled grand final.

"Obviously I love playing, so it's really disappointing sitting on the sidelines watching the team I am part of play. Last week I just watched the live stream from my bed," he said.

"At this stage that's probably what it's going to be this week too, so it's pretty frustrating. It's terrible, it's shocking.

"It does suck, like I was looking forward to playing Parkes given what happened last year, but I guess it is what it is, I have to put my health first.

"It will be the first game at home for the season, so hopefully we can get a good turn out at 'the zoo'."

While having Cusick - the 2021 New Holland Cup player of the year - unavailable is a blow, CSU is set to have a stronger side than the one which lost 50-7 against Mudgee last Saturday.

"We'll have a decent front row back and a couple more backs after the injuries and unavalibilites we had last week, we've also got three home games in a row now which will give us a bit more depth," Conyers said.

"We'll have Lachlan, he's 26 now so he's got a fair bit of experience. My other son Jarrad, he lives in Sydney, but I said 'Mate we've got a bit of an SOS here, we're a bit short'. If he comes he'll stiffen up the back row or the centre position for us.

"I've never coached both those boys on the same team, so that would be a bit of a first."

Saturday's match at University Oval starts at 3.15pm.

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