Nick Hughes-Clapp has played his fair share of seasons for Orange Emus.
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But the legendary forward rates 2023 as one of his "most rewarding".
That's because unlike in years past, Emus have faced quite a bit of adversity throughout the campaign.
"In previous season, things might have come a bit easier for us, but this year we've had to be very resilient and work very hard to get here," he said.
"Each game we've slowly been building and getting better and better each week. There's a bit more cohesion and I feel like we've been doing well."
That unity was certainly on show during their grand final qualifier against Cowra Eagles on August 19.
Having lost to the Bathurst Bulldogs the week prior, Emus were in a do-or-die situation at Endeavour Oval.
The game started out slow, with the Eagles taking an early 6-5 lead thanks to two penalty goals.
But it was one-way traffic from that point on as Emus rattled off 27 straight points in front of the home crowd to come away with a comfortable 32-6 victory in the end.
Teenager Xavier Gosewisch is in his first year of senior rugby with Emus, a move made necessary after the club was unable to field a colts team in 2023.
While that news was "disappointing" for the prop to start the season, he's enjoyed seeing Emus' youngsters thrive as a result.
"The club is really open to the young blokes coming through," he said.
"It's good that all the boys have taken that next step."
Hughes-Clapp also praised the work of youngsters such as Gosewisch who have helped Emus get to the big dance.
"It's the sign of a strong club that if you lose key players, whether they retire or go elsewhere, you can bring in young players," he said.
"It shows that you've got good development structures within the club and it's really rewarding to see those players come in and play really well."
Emus went down 24-10 against the Bulldogs on August 12 and will now have their shot at redemption next week as they travel 40 minutes down the road to tackle the Bathurst side at Ashwood Park.
Hughes-Clapp knows exactly what to expect from the game.
"Hostile, they always are very vocal," he said.
"That's fine too. We kind of like that because we want a good atmosphere at a grand final."
The grand final will take place on August 26.
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