He has led from the front for Bathurst Panthers all season and Jake Betts is also the early front-runner for the Peter McDonald Premiership best and fairest prize.
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The best and fairest leaders for the first half of the season have been revealed, giving an indication of which players are in the mix for the competition's biggest individual honour.
Betts sits at the top on 10 points in first grade after another strong campaign at lock for Panthers.
So much of Panthers' play revolves around the Western Rams captain and the results are clear to see, with Panthers currently third on the ladder and two points off Mudgee.
Betts is currently on track to complete an individual double after being named Group 10 player of the year in 2023.
The man who won the corresponding award in Group 11 last year is hot on the tail of Betts.
Jack Buchanan sits second in the best and fairest tally, just one off the Panthers leader, having led from the front for a rejuvenated Orange CYMS this year.
Buchanan made the move to Orange in the off-season after starring for the Parkes Spacemen in 2023.
Billy Carberry of the Mudgee Dragons rounds out the current top three with eight points.
Seven players are locked on six points. They are Jackson Brien (Bathurst St Pat's), Justin Toomey-White (Wellington), Jeremy Thurston (Dubbo CYMS), Jake Porter (Parkes), Jack Kavanagh (Macquarie) and Corey Cox (Nyngan).
The tally didn't include points awarded from the Panthers-Lithgow match on April 20 as that was technically a late-season match which was brought forward to act as a curtain-raiser to the NRL game at Bathurst's Carrington Park.
In the lower grades, Orange CYMS is leading the way.
Journeyman forward Anthony Redfern is top of the reserve grade points while Georgie Barrett is setting the pace in league tag.
Barrett headlines a star-studded collection of league tag players.
The CYMS star is clear at the top on 12 points, with Mudgee standout Alahna Ryan second with eight. Mirrikie Shaw and Katie Kelly of Wellington and Macquarie respectively are both on eight points while Orange Hawks' Bec Ford and Macquarie youngster Halle Jo Sutcliffe have seven each.
In reserve grade, Redfern (nine points) is one ahead of Dubbo CYMS captain-coach and halfback Craig McLean while Mudgee duo Hayden Taylor and Tim Condon are each in the mix with six points each. Kurt Fuller of Macquarie and Emmanuel Cerei have both received five points.
Tully Howell has established himself as one of the most exciting players in the Tom Nelson Premiership and the Mudgee halfback tops the Tom Nelson Premiership point-getters.
Howell has nine points while another representative half, Jace Baker of Macquarie, is second with eight points. Coby Hall of Forbes, Orange CYMS' Angus Thompson and Orange Hawks hooker Billy Morgan each have seven points.