GETTING the best players for the best competition available to soccer talents in the Central West - that is the aim for Mark Rooke.
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After Rooke's Western NSW side narrowly missed out on qualifying for the National Premier Leagues 4 finals this season, he has already begun the process of building on that effort.
He has been in talks with a number of players ahead of Western holding its first trials.
"We've lost a couple of lads, you're never going to retain everyone even though you'd like to, but it looks like we've retained most," Rooke said.
"Nothing is confirmed yet, hopefully they'll turn up to the trials, but there are a couple of names coming back to play which would be really nice and make our squad really good.
"It looks like we've possibly picked up a couple of attacking boys."
After the success of having Californian duo Daniel Baumgartner and Cameron DeJong as part of his 2020 outfit, imports are part of Rooke's wish list for the new season.
While it looks as if Baumgartner may stay on, DeJong has been picked up by NPL1 outfit Adamstown.
Just as important for Rooke will be promoting the talents who impressed for Western's under 20s this season.
"We want to build on what the 20s did this year, they got within one game of the grand final and look to be honest, they probably should've won that, it just wasn't their day," he said.
While the standard of local association football in the region has improved and 2020 saw the return of the Western Premier League, Rooke pointed out that NPL4 is a further step up in quality.
He hopes the desire of the region's best footballers to test themselves will help lure them to his Western squad.
"There's plenty of players around the area and we just want to make them understand if they want to play the best football that's available to them, we're certainly it," he said.
"The advantage for us is having three-quarters of our games at home, so we'll have out of our 22, 15 games at home, we only have to travel seven times."
Western's first trial will be tonight at Bathurst's Police Paddock from 6.15pm with another to follow on Thursday, December 17 at Orange's Sir Jack Brabham Park from 6.15pm. All those interested in playing for the open or under 20s sides are welcome to attend.
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