Anyone who has played in a forward pack will tell you they're the ones doing all the work, while those flashy backs just finish things off and stealing all the limelight.
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That's not the case in the Peter McDonald Premiership this season, as the forwards have been recognised in a big way.
The best and fairest tallies up to this point in the season have been released and the men up front are
Hayden Bolam of Bathurst St Pat's and Wellington captain-coach Justin Toomey-White have proved their player of the year crownings last year were no fluke, as they sit atop the respective Group 10 and Group 11 ladders again.
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Bolam is leading overall with 11 points to his name while Toomey-White is close behind on 10.
Four of the top five point-getters in Group 10 all play up front while it's a case of three in four for Group 11.
Bolam has again been electric from dummyhalf for St Pat's, with last weekend's performance in the win over Orange Hawks a perfect example of his class.
The former Forbes star set up his side's first try with a neat grubber from dummyhalf, before putting captain-coach Zac Merritt over for Pat's second.
In the second half Bolam was heavily involved again, first floating across-field close to the line to draw the attention of the defence before a shift out resulted in another try.
The best was still yet to come though as the final try had the Pat's players and fans up and about.
After darting out from dummyhalf at roughly halfway, Bolam chipped ahead on the run and his deft kick was collected by five-eighth Noah Griffiths, who raced away to wrap-up a commanding 32-6 win.
The victory kept Pat's hot on the heels on the Mudgee Dragons, who lead the Group 10 pool.
Matt Boss of Hawks and Bathurst Panthers captain-coach Jake Betts, who both play at lock, are one point behind Bolam in the Group 10 race while Nathan Potts (Hawks) and Josh Rivett (Panthers) are next on seven.
Across in Group 11, Toomey-White leads by one point from Parkes enforcer Jack Buchanan.
The Wellington star is already the winner of the Group 11 Player of the Year award a record five times and his on track to better that mark this season.
The back-rower has benefited from an improved Cowboys side this season, with less pressure on his own shoulders.
After winning just once last winter, the Cowboys are joint-second in the Group 11 pool with Parkes.
Wellington's left-edge has been lethal this season and Toomey-White's power game a big reason the man outside him, centre Preston Simpson, is the Cowboys' top try-scorer.
In the narrow win over Macquarie last time out, a match which the Cowboys won in the final minutes, Toomey-White was immense, even while carrying a niggling injury for much of the 80 minutes.
The Cowboys trailed 10-6 at half-time in that match and the feeling was the opening stages of the second stanza would be key.
Toomey-White took it upon himself to break things open less than two minutes after the restart.
In classic Toomey-White fashion, he sliced through out wide and overpowered the defence before popping up perfect ball to Simpson, who did the rest.
Toomey-White (10 points) and Buchanan (9) have a bit of a buffer over the Dubbo CYMS pair of prop Jarryn Powyer and star fullback Jeremy Thurston, who each have six points.
Wellington, Parkes, Forbes and Nyngan have all played one less match than every other side in the competition up to this point, meaning Toomey-White and Buchanan have the chance to move past Bolam in the overall race in the coming weeks.
Best and fairest points
Group 10
- Hayden Bolam (Bathurst St Pat's) 11
- Matt Boss (Orange Hawks) 10
- Jake Betts (Bathurst Panthers) 10
- Josh Rivett (Bathurst Panthers) 7
- Nathan Potts (Orange Hawks) 7
- Pacey Stockton (Mudgee Dragons) 6
- Aaron Mawhinney (Bathurst St Pat's) 5
Group 11
- Justin Toomey-White (Wellington Cowboys) 10
- Jack Buchanan (Parkes Spacemen) 9
- Jarryn Powyer (Dubbo CYMS) 6
- Jeremy Thurston (Dubbo CYMS) 6
- Chanse Burgess (Dubbo CYMS) 5
- Josh Merritt (Nyngan Tigers) 5
- Jake Porter (Parkes Spacemen) 5
- Jordan Reynolds (Macquarie Raiders) 5
- Will Wardle (Parkes Spacemen) 5
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
