Late last year with the 2019 Blowes Clothing Cup season creeping closer there was some concern within the Dubbo Kangaroos Rugby Club.
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Could the Roos really fail to form a colts side?
One of the real powerhouses of bush footy was struggling for numbers and while it never quite reached that dire situation, coach Greg Knaggs did have a challenge on his hands.
"We only started the season with about 18 players," he says, looking back at the early rounds.
"At the beginning of the year there was about four different groups in the squad but they've all come together."
Knaggs was starting from scratch in some ways.
The bulk of the players from the side which lost the 2018 colts grand final had either moved up or moved away from Dubbo, and the new group was a mix of rugby regulars, some who had made the switch from others clubs, and a few ex-league and soccer players who decided to give it a go.
It was a slow start, with a 22-0 loss to Bathurst Bulldogs in the opening round followed by losses in three of the next four rounds.
But things soon started to come together.
This new-look squad was not only becoming closer on the field, they were becoming good mates off it as well.
And for Knaggs, that's been the most pleasing thing he's seen as colts in a season which is now one win away from premiership glory.
"They've come together as a team," he said in the build-up to Saturday's decider at Bathurst.
"We've done the bus trips together and as a group of young men they all get a long and they all know their job.
"That's the way we play footy, too."
Knaggs knows his side is the underdog heading in Saturday's decider against Bulldogs.
The Bathurst side undefeated and finished the regular season with a points differential of 506.
To put that in perspective, the Roos were second with a differential of 100.
But the major semi-final just two weeks ago gives the Roos reason to be confident.
The Roos led that game going into the final minutes before Bulldogs levelled it up to force extra-time, before nabbing victory in one of the best games of the year.
"But that's footy," Knaggs said of the result simply, before looking at what's key in the grand final.
"Hold the ball. Whoever holds the ball longest will is the one who will win the game. It's as simple as that.
"It's about ball retention and then utilising it properly.
"It can be a forward dominated game against Bulldogs but I believe our forwards are superior.
"They've got a very good backline but after seeing the way our backs trained on Tuesday night I'm very happy."
The colts grand final kicks off at 10.45am at Bathurst's Anne Ashwood Park.
- DUBBO KANGAROOS: 1 Justin Flannery, 2 James Carter, 3 Mitch Smith, 4 Jack Neave, 5 Tyler Edwards, 6 Sam Parish, 7 Jack O'Brien, 8 Hugh O'Leary (c), 9 Lachlan Colbran, 10 Charlie Kempston, 11 Nathaniel Couchman, 12 Kenny Johnston, 13 Logan Porch, 14 Thomas Isbester, 15 Zarrin Galea; interchange: 16 Kain Simpson, 17 Charlie Shanks, 18 Pat Hanson, 19 Nick Jasprizza, 20 Jacob Draper, 21 Harry Connell, 22 Lachlan Hutchison, 23 Ben Smith.