Attitude, he pointed out, was the common denominator in the equation for the champions who were unbeaten in 17 league games, including two draws.
Trying to avoid the perennial problem of a thinning squad, this winter Parker started with 20. He asked them to train without the guarantee of minutes on the park and they obliged.
"With suspensions, injuries and unavailabilities everyone has stepped up," he said, adding he had played his first-choice XI only twice this season.
"It's a credit to the other guys who wanted to be part of the battle, so you can't beat that attitude."
While a premature exit from the knockout Federation Cup was disappointing, Parker said the team were about a bunch of family blokes who had footed it at National League and Central League levels and had no desire to travel.
"We took a gamble in the hope we'd have mostly home games so that robbed us of a few players," he explained afterwards to Wanganui United at Wembley Park. Two sending-offs didn't help their cause, leaving a bare XI, three of whom were not fit.
"Maybe we took on too much for what we're about, so next time we'll probably keep it local."
Wanderers coach Bruce Barclay, whose team finished runners-up in the premiership, said they had a good share of Saturday's game but Taradale were more clinical in front of the goal.
The villagers conceded an own goal and the second goal from Nick Demaine was from a cornerkick that bounced in the box and went in without anyone touching it.
"Look, Taradale are deserving winners as the top team in the league," Barclay said. They clash again at Guthrie Park in the HB Knockout Cup quarterfinals this Saturday.
"We're going to have another ding-dong battle," he said.
Taradale 3 (own goal, Nick Demaine, Chris Bruin) Havelock North 0. HT: 1-0.
Gisborne 4 Rovers 0
Jennian Team Gisorne didn't want to make much of their 4-0 victory at Childer's Road Reserve yesterday.
Gisborne assistant coach Mark Baple alluded to the post-match speech from Promotem Napier City Rovers counterpart Matt Hastings, who said it was always going to be a hard ask playing two games in two days.
"All the credit to them for playing today because we couldn't change anything because of our prizegiving next weekend."
Kane Stirton, Nick Somerton and Dave Ure played their last game because they are going down to the local division two where they'll create a Gisborne Thistle team next winter.
Baple said their teens would step up.
Gisborne 4 (Corey Adams, Matt Logan, Nick Somerton, Dave Ure) Rovers 0 HT: 2-0.
Federation Cup
Rovers 3 Gisborne Utd 4
It ain't over til it's over and it's something youngsters, in particular, learn pretty smartly sooner or later in the big leagues.
Promotem Napier City Rovers discovered that when Gisborne United pipped them 4-3 in their knockout cup match at Park Island, Napier, on Saturday.
Down 2-1 at the breather, the hosts found themselves up 3-2 up with 10 minutes to go but the experienced visitors struck back twice to end the Rovers' campaign.
"In the first 15 minutes we kept the ball but then we stopped playing the way we were," Blues coach Matt Hastings lamented of a game postponed from the previous Saturday after Gisborne United coaching staff had bereavement in his family.
After some pep talk from Hastings, the Rovers dictated terms in the first 35 minutes of the second spell but regrettably took their foot off the visitors' throat.
"We switched off completely," he said of his troops. They now play fellow Pacific Premiership side Cru Bar Maycenvale United this Saturday in the HB Knockout Cup.
Rovers 3 (Bradley Perks, Mickey Nixon, John Anstis) Gisborne Utd 4 (Corey Adams 2, Kieran Venema, Johnny Purcell). HT: 2-1 Gissy.
