Western Force halted the exodus of players with the important re-signing of prop Pek Cowan for the next two Super 14 seasons.

Cowan has been a revelation for the Force this season, combining with fellow prop Ben Castle and hooker Tai McIsaac to create a formidable front row.

New Zealand-born Cowan made his Super 14 debut for the Force in 2006 but failed to break into the side in '07.

However, the 22-year-old, who weighs in at 116kg, has been a regular for the past two seasons, notching 19 appearances.

The retention of Cowan is a massive boost for the Force, who were dealt a blow last week when star back Drew Mitchell confirmed he would be switching to the NSW Waratahs next season.

Mitchell isn't the only one flying the coop at season's end, with Matt Giteau (Brumbies), Scott Staniforth (Japan), McIsaac (Japan), Tamaiti Horua (Ulster) and Castle also set to leave.

The future of 18-year-old James O'Connor and No.8 Richard Brown is still up in the air but the uncertainties haven't affected the Force's on-field performances, with the club's 55-14 demolition of the Lions moving them to within three points of the top four ahead of this weekend's clash with the Bulls in Pretoria.

"We've put ourselves back into contention so it's a phenomenal experience ... just to stay alive week by week," coach John Mitchell said.

"Let's just take one week at a time. We've given ourselves another chance.

"We do have belief in going to South Africa, we have been successful there before.

"The pressure's on everyone that remains in contention in the competition, it doesn't matter if you have home advantage or not.

"This side has never been dead and buried.

"They're strong characters and they've been through a lot together."

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