TWO of the Western Force's new signings are hoping the move west will put them back in the sights of Wallabies selectors.
Prop Matt Dunning and halfback Brett Sheehan were in Perth this week to check out their new Super 14 home.

Even though a veteran of 43 Tests, Dunning admitted to being excited and a little nervous about the move.

"It is a big move for me but I'm really excited about the football and moving to a new place and starting a new part of my career," he said.

He described the move from NSW, where he won 99 caps and laughingly said his long service leave was up in March, as 'massive'.

But the future and opportunities in Perth, where he will be part of a new look front row, 'looked so good'.

"It's a really good pack. The tight five will be very good and the back row speaks for itself," he said.

He said the pack was as good `if not better' than any other in Super 14 rugby.

"There's a lot of depth, a lot of experience a lot of raw talent," he said.

The signing of fellow prop Tim Fairbrother was a big factor in the move.

An achilles, ruptured when playing for the Wallabies against the Barbarians in 2008 and leaving him sidelined last season, had repaired well and he is back in Sydney club rugby.

And he wants his Wallaby spot back.

"It was always going to be hard to make the Tri-Nations squad, probably never a reality," he said.

"But the end of season tour, I'm aiming to get in there."

Nor has he ruled out the 2011 World Cup but said: "I just want to worry about playing good football and that will look after itself, obviously everyone wants to play in the World Cup."

Geraldton born Sheehan, with three Tests caps and 48 Super games with the Waratahs and the Reds, said the move west was a change he had been looking for.

He is keen to get behind the new Force pack and form a partnership with another new signing, former Springbok five-eighth Andre Pretorius.

"I'm looking forward to working with them," he said.

"Andre is a great signing for the Force, he's an experienced player, he's a brilliant player, he'll control things.

"We're both experienced enough players to be able to form a pretty good combination pretty quickly."

Sheehan has come to the Force looking for a starting role in the No 9 jumper where he will be battling long standing Force player Chris O'Young - and hopes it could lead to a Wallaby return.

"It was good fighting it out with Luke (Burgess) but you want to be playing and starting week in and week out," he said.

"I'm just looking forward to playing some good footy, getting out on the park and hopefully my name will get thrown up there with the Wallabies again," he said.

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