Peter McDonald Premiership 2023: Jack Buchanan will play his first derby for Parkes against Forbes

Buchanan has made an immediate impact for his new club, leading the way in forward pack for the Group 11 club while also using his experience to help the next generation of talent.

The signing of the former NRL player and Cowra captain-coach was one of the biggest moves in the pre-season after his old club opted not to enter side in the 2023 Peter McDonald Premiership.

Now comfortable at his new club, Buchanan admitted he couldn't be in a better place at the moment.

"It's going really good, it's a great club not just for myself but the family as well," he said.

"They are basically just a bunch of guys who have grown up playing together, obviously other than the guys who work there, we don't have a lot of imports.

"You can tell as well because they enjoy playing together and I think a few of the results have shown that this is a group of guys who enjoy playing together."

Buchanan hasn't wasted time getting stuck in either, the hard-working prop regularly plays 80 minutes each week and currently sits second in the best and fairest voting for Group 11, trailing only Wellington's Justin Toomey-White by a single point.

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Brothers Takitau and Moni Mapaplangi also made headlines with their move to the club while the addition of former Group 11 premiership winner Jake Dooley has boosted Parkes' stocks.

It's the Spacemen's forward pack which has garnered a lot of attention and for good reason too, with Buchanan liking the look of the big men over the first six rounds.

"We are pretty lucky there and we've still had a few injuries every week," he said.

"We've got a bit of depth there so boys can come and fill in, you've got Tau (Mapapalangi) who is a freak.

"He probably shouldn't be a front rower he has that much skill, he's incredible and is getting better every week, he's still only young.

"He's learning a lot, Chad (Porter) and I have been trying to help him out. You've got a bit of experience mixed in as well with Will Wardle, myself, Brandon Paige and a few other boys.

"We are lucky that we have a bit of depth in the forwards and as everyone knows, you need depth to win comps."

Parkes currently sit second behind Dubbo CYMS on the Group 11 ladder but have only lost the two matches.

A tough defeat at the hands of Macquarie last weekend saw the side play arguably their worst game of the season to date but Buchanan isn't too worried.

"I can't put my finger on what happened last weekend to be honest," he said.

"It's probably just one of those games you have a couple of times a year, we did the same against Nyngan as well.

"It was one of those games where the more we tried the worse we got, we were stuck in mud.

"Macquarie rocked up and wanted it a bit more on the day I think, it's probably a big turning point for them in their season."

With the annual Forbes and Parkes derby to take place at Pioneer Oval on Sunday, it will be the first time Buchanan has featured in the game and he's already heard big things.

"I've heard a lot of hype around it, it's obviously a big weekend for both towns so I'm looking forward to it," he said.

"From what I hear they get a good crowd and it's a match they mark down at the start of every year."

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