Parkes Spacemen preview: Signings, potential lineups and 2024 prospects

Their season ultimately finished at the preliminary final stage and that pain was compounded when a number of stars departed early in the off-season.

Despite that, confidence remains high in the club.

Here's how things look ahead of the new PMP season.

Don't tell Chad Porter this is a rebuild year.

Despite the fact the Spacemen lost some of their brightest stars from last year - Will Wardle, Jack Buchanan, Takitau Mapapalangi and Jake Dooley among them - the captain-coach and halfback isn't taking a backwards step.

"It's definitely not a rebuild," he said.

"I feel, with the boys we've got, we can still give it a bit of a shake."

The Spacemen are accustomed to major changes. Almost every year the club lose a few players, has people writing them off, lands a few new signings and is suddenly a force again.

Things are shaping up the same way again, with a number of Fijian signings expected to provide plenty of strikepower.

Big bodies Nikola Sovatabua and Epeli Uluinavucu arrived from Forbes while Ponipate Komai and Watsoni Druma have experience playing in the Ron Massey Cup for the Kaiviti Silktails.

Isi Matalave has also arrived from New Zealand and is expected to be a real presence in the forward pack.

"We'll just run with the underdogs tag and hopefully we can prove a bit of a point," Porter said earlier this month.

Last year was a successful season for the Spacemen, but Porter is always looking for ways to improve.

He starts the season as one of the top few halfbacks in the competition, but it's his own performances he's putting a real focus on.

"I need to take a little bit of control," he said.

"As in, kicking us out of trouble early and just going back to the simple stuff.

"I reckon early in the season we just want to get those couple of wins and I really want to take ownership of leading the boys around, getting us to the right points and stuff like that."

Porter is also expecting big things from halves partner Joey Dwyer.

A regular at the Spacies, Dwyer is now a couple of years on from ACL surgery and Porter feels the five-eighth is ready to go to another level.

"We have a good combo in the halves and we love playing with each other," Porter added.

The familiarity in the spine is a real boost for the Spacemen, with Sam Dwyer at fullback and Jake Porter at hooker again.

The forward pack will change a huge amount but things are pretty similar elsewhere.

This could be the season youngster Malakai Folau announces himself to the competition after the outside back got a taste of first grade last season, while Porter has tipped the versatile Riley Scott to impress after a big pre-season.

"He's as fit as I've seen him," Porter said.

"He can play in the centres or at lock or I could even chuck him in the number nine. He's got a bit of a utility role."

There were rumours of a return from former captain-coach Jack Creith and Porter did reach out to the former Canberra junior, but a comeback seems hugely unlikely at this stage.

Potential lineup: 1 Sam Dwyer, 2 Jacob Smede, 3 Riley Scott, 4 Ponipate Komai, 5 Malakai Folau, 6 Joey Dwyer, 7 Chad Porter, 8 Isi Matalave, 9 Jake Porter, 10 Nikola Sovatabua, 11 Rex Yallon, 12 Epeli Uluinavucu, 13 Brandon Paige; Bench: 14 Cody Crisp, 15 Watsoni Druma, 16 Samuel Tuinovono, 17 Ryan Goodsell.

Parkes always seem to be around the money. They've got plenty of experienced local juniors who won't be too fazed after an off-season overhaul of the forward pack.

Given the quality they've lost, a drop-off is expected. If a number of the signings struggle to settle or don't gel with Parkes' style then it could be really worrying but, as it stands, this side has enough talent and know-how to play finals footy.