The way Jack Hartwig gently patted Cody Crisp on the head on Sunday afternoon made it hard to believe he'd spent the previous 60 minutes doing all he could to physically destroy his opposition.
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Forbes star Hartwig was keen to check on the Parkes captain following the Western Youth League semi-final battle, one Crisp had failed to finish after suffering a nasty head knock before half-time.
The blow came about as he attempted a tackle on Hartwig, who later went on to score one of the tries in the Magpies' 16-6 victory.
The do-or-die derby contest might not have hit any great heights in terms of quality but the passion was never lacking throughout.
There was plenty of heated moments and one sin-binning late on while there was also a lot of chat on the field and a huge amount of noise from the crowd.
But the moment between Hartwig and Crisp post-game, as well as the other embraces between opposing players, was the latest example of what makes the Forbes-Parkes rivalry so special.
"It's really good and a really big rivalry but at the end of the day we're all mates," the Magpies skipper said.
"It's only a game football, really, and it's a game we all love playing.
"It can get a bit heated out there at times but we're all mates, and good mates at that, so it's good to come together at the end of the game."
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It's only a half hour drive from Parkes' Pioneer Oval to Spooner Oval in Forbes and while COVID-19 meant it was a restricted crowd, it was still a spirited one in attendance.
While the Parkes fans didn't get to celebrate a win there was a huge amount of pride within the Spacemen given Forbes had won the most recent meeting between the two 44-0 just a matter of weeks ago.
Parkes led 6-0 early and never threw the towel in on Sunday, much to the delight of coach Sam Dwyer.
"I couldn't be any prouder of the boys," he said.
"There was a few injuries in the game, which threw a spanner in the works, but everyone stood up and there was no let downs today.
"Last time we played Forbes it was a bit of a blowout but this game was in the balance for a long time so I'm pleased about that."
This year marked the second Dwyer has been coaching the Parkes under 18s side and while the late start to play and brief pre-season was far from ideal, he's again loved being part of it.
Parkes finished second in the southern pool, behind Forbes, before a thrilling golden point win over Macquarie in the quarter-finals.
That was a standout moment for the side but it's the moments off the field which meant as much to the Spacies' coach.
"It's great. I love it," he said with a smile on his face.
"It takes you back to when you were 18 and all the silly things you'd get up to and it's good to be around.
"They're all good kids and I love going to training and mucking around with them and training and the footy is good but the stuff outside of it is great too."
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.
