O’Neill has moved back into the front row as the Wagga club deals with a number of injury concerns heading into the clash against Tumbarumba on Sunday.

On the wrong side of 40 in footballing terms, O’Neill is relishing a fresh start at Kangaroos.

The chance to play alongside son Trae and nephew Brodie O’Neill was one of the main reasons for the shift and the 43-year is still not even considering retirement.

“I love it and I’m still enjoying it,” O’Neill said.

“Age is just a number and I haven't had any major knee reconstructions or shoulders or anything like that, I’m still pretty good.

“I’m not thinking about retirement yet.”

O’Neill considers himself lucky on the injury front and it is one of the reason he’s still playing.

Sustaining three broken arms in one season is the worse of it and a big off-season, where he lost 22 kilograms, has helped him wind back the clock.

“I want to be out in the centres, or somewhere away from the engine room where you have to do all the work, but I have been enjoying it,” O’Neill said.

“Back in the day (I was in the centres) but now when you’re a little bit older and a little bit slower they put in the forwards and you just have to take it up.”

Combining a new diet with training throughout the summer has helped O’Neill recover from the rigours of first grade.

“It is a lot easier when you lose the weight,” he said.

O’Neill has one focus for the rest of the season – to make the finals – and in order to do so Roos must win at Tumbarumba on Sunday.

Regardless of where they finish, he believes the club is heading in the right direction.

"It is a good rebuilding stage and I think we are having a little bit of fun which is showing on the paddock,” O’Neill said.

“Hopefully we can keep in up and make the finals."

Kangaroos will have to do it without injured forwards James Whiteley (arm), Nick Baker (ankle), John Downes (collarbone) and Jack Kelly (hand) for the clash at Tumbarumba Showground.

Both Whiteley and Baker were injured in the win over Junee with O’Neill coming into the starting team.

Captain-coach Ben Jeffery has struggled to name a team but is hopeful they still have enough firepower to down a struggling Greens outfit.

“It’s disappointing at the this time of the year with a few big games coming up,” Jeffery said “It’s a bit of a scrap to put a team together.

“It is going to be pushing it uphill a little bit, but it is what it is.”