Dubbo CYMS has been one of the more quiet clubs during the Group 11 off-season but in the last few weeks things have gone to "another level".
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Much of that is due to the return of former captain-coach Jarryn Powyer.
Powyer stepped down from the top job during last season's President's Cup campaign and after some recent time away travelling the country he's back at work during the Fishies' pre-season sessions, much to the delight of new coach Shawn Townsend.
Powyer also lined up on Friday night during the club's annual pre-season intra-club match.
"Jaz, he's come back and the energy and enthusiasm just lifts enormously," Townsend said.
"It had been good before but he turned up and it just went to another level."
The last few weeks has been when CYMS' pre-season work has really begun in earnest.
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While some clubs have been putting in the hard yards since late last year, those in green and white have been a little more relaxed.
Pre-season numbers weren't huge earlier in the year but players from the under 21s side which reached the final of the recent western-wide competition have joined the senior group while some new faces have also arrived.
Because of that, Townsend expects the best of CYMS won't be on show for a couple of months yet but he's content as he wants his side to be peaking at the right time of the year.
"It will take a bit of time before we're playing our best footy because there's a new voice and new ideas so we'll build slowly," he said.
"We won't be the finished product in round one so we'll see how we're going later in the year.
"We've had a few away. 'Jaz' has been tripping around Australia for three months and only just come back and a couple of others have been away for work and only just come back so we don't expect them to be firing come round one. We'll build into the season."
One who has been impressing during pre-season is Brad Pickering.
The former Group 11 representative is back with the Fishies having not played for the club since midway through 2019, largely due to a serious knee injury.
Townsend singled out the versatile backline player for his efforts since pre-season began while he also spoke about new recruit Brydon Ramien.
The brother of NRL star Jesse Ramien, Brydon arrived at CYMS in recent weeks and is expected to be a hugely useful addition for Townsend after showing flashes of his quality during brief stints with Forbes and Cowra in 2019.
"He'll be like the rest of us, he'll start a bit slow but he can fill in wing, centre, second-row, lock, front-row and I think he's said he's played in the halves before so he'll be really handy," he said.
"He's a bit of a utility and he's got a bit of power and speed."
Ramien was in action on Friday night during the annual CYMS Green v CYMS White pre-season match.
Townsend admitted he was pleasantly surprised by the quality of footy on show, particularly in the second half as things really began to come together.
Green ran out 30-22 winners, with the side featuring the likes of Ramien, Ben Marlin, Corey Drew, Billy Sing, Jeremy Thurston, James Stanley and another of the new recruits, Craig McLean.
Peter Karydis, who has also caught the eye of the coach during pre-season, and a number of under 21s players were also part of the side.
"We got everything we wanted out of it," Townsend said of the match.
"There was no injuries, we got some minutes in the legs and it was the first game for a few of them and second game for a few and a lot had been playing in 21s and now playing with different people.
"I think everyone was stoked with what they got out of it."
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