In a massive development that may well send shivers down the spines of Central West's NSW Country Rugby Union Championship rivals, capricious Forbes halfback Mahe Fangupo will don a Blue Bulls jersey this weekend.
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Fangupo has been battling a knee injury all season and although he went on Central West's pre-season tour of New Zealand, he sensationally ruled himself out of this weekend's Caldwell Cup bid before the Blue Bulls' final training session late last month.
But with a handful of Blue Bulls stars landing in a mounting Central West casualty ward last weekend the reigning Caldwell Cup player-of-the-tournament answered head coach Dean Oxley's 11th hour call to turn out.
Although it remains to be seen how many minutes he'll see, the NSW Country Cockatoos incumbent has been named on the Blue Bulls' bench and will be used for impact in the later stages of games.
With Harden duo Shahid Khalfan and Jack O'Connor boasting an established combination in the halves, at halfback at five-eighth respectively, the thought of Fangupo coming on in either position as the Blue Bulls' opposition fatigue is a luring one.
"Mahe won't start," Central West head coach Dean Oxley confirmed.
"He's the reigning player-of-the-year and even though he's recovered sufficiently from that knee injury we'll use him sparingly, as an impact player, he could really take advantage in the later stages of games.
"He's 100 per cent committed to the cause and it's good to have him on board again."
Narromine's John Ellis, Cowra's Chris Miller, Warren's George Quigley and Bulldogs duo Will Oldham and Brenton Gibson all forced to withdraw.
Cowra's Joe Dakuitoga and Sailasa Taueki, Mudgee's Dave Jessiman, Bulldogs' Matt Trapp, Condobolin's Josh Hudson, Forbes' Tom Macleay and Dubbo Kangaroos' Luke Ryan have all come into the squad to replace them, or filled the two vacant spots Oxley left originally.
The Blue Bulls face the Mid North Coast Axemen in their opening game of the tournament on Saturday, from 12.50pm at Tamworth's Scully Park, before reigning champions Illawarra take on last year's promoted Richardson Shield winners Central Coast from 3.50pm.
The two winners face-off in the top tier's decider on Sunday.
- CENTRAL WEST BLUE BULLS: 1 Charlie French (Forbes Platypi), 2 Peter Fitzsimmons (Bathurst Bulldogs), 3 Joe Dakuitoga (Cowra Eagles), 4 Shaun McHugh (Dubbo Kangaroos), 5 Justin Mobbs (Bathurst Bulldogs), 6 Dan Ryan (Parkes Boars), 7 Mark Baldwin (Dubbo Kangaroos - captain), 8 Dave Jessiman (Mudgee Wombats), 9 Shahid Khafan (Harden Red Devils), 10 Jack O'Connor (Harden Red Devils), 11 Joe Nash (Bathurst Bulldogs), 12 Lachie Harris (Orange Emus), 13 Zac White (Molong Magpies), 14 Tim Beach (Dubbo Kangaroos), 15 Ben Lenehan (Harden Red Devils); Bench: 16 Matt Trapp (Bathurst Bulldogs), 17 Tom Dunstan (Mudgee Wombats), 18 Josh Hudson (Condobolin Rams), 19 Tom Macleay (Forbes Platypi), 20 Alex Weal (Bathurst Bulldogs), 21 Josh Peffer (Molong Magpies), 22 Mahe Fangupo (Forbes Platypi), 23 Filisione Pauta (Geurie Goats), 24 Luke Ryan (Dubbo Kangaroos), 25 Sailasa Taueki (Cowra Eagles)
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