It's nothing new, as Patterson has been spoken about plenty since his days of being a young tearaway in the junior ranks in Dubbo.

He's won first grade titles before, he's spent time playing in Sydney, and he's represented the Australian Indigenous team so having eyes on him is nothing new.

"It's exciting for me and it gets me revved up for a game," Patterson said.

A former Rugby and Newtown player, Patterson returned from Sydney to Dubbo this season and has starred with bat and ball for CYMS.

READ ALSO:

- Atlee ready to do his part as Colts look to go back-to-back

- Mateship can help Narromine finish debut season in perfect style

- ON THE MOVE | Player signings for the 2022 Peter McDonald Premiership

He was among the top five run-scorers and wicket-takers in the first grade competition and is one of a number of genuine match-winners the CYMS lineup possesses.

Patterson sees that as a real advantage for his side, with the likes of Brock Larance, Bailey Edmunds and Ben Knaggs all capable of changing a game in an instance.

"Their experience is an advantage for them but we have a lot of match-winners and elements of our game that do tend to trump experience," Patterson said.

"We have guys who can turn a game on its head in the matter of two or three overs and that's an exciting prospect for now and years to come."

Those "years to come" were something Patterson spoke about a lot while talking about CYMS.

There's already been success as the Cougars won the premiership two seasons ago and were runners-up to Colts last summer.

The bulk of the squad is is settled in Dubbo with only Patterson, Brock Larance and Tom Coady - who is likely to miss the grand final through injury - potentially moving on to chase higher honours.

Patterson is currently uncertain if he'll be in green or not next season but he can see the Cougars being a contender for many more years to come.

"It looks like we're not only going to build a good team for two or three years, this could be another run that could rival Colts' history," Patterson said, Colts having won seven straight titles in the 2000s.

"That's an unrivalled streak and everyone respects that, especially CYMS, but we'd like to definitely rival that and rewrite some history books, if possible."

Patterson has worked closely with his CYMS teammates in his first season at the club, helping put a focus on aspects of the match like mentality and accountability.

Having teammates buy into what he's tried to impact has been pleasing for the all-rounder, but it's also been hugely satisfying seeing players from the lower grades ask for advice and show a determination to improve.

"We've been looking to build a culture around being able to dominate a game of cricket and do it with an element of humility," Patterson said, before speaking about the desire to succeed.

"It filters down through the grades. You see people ask senior players like myself and Brock how to improve on parts of the game and what to look for, right through to fundamentals in training.

"It's good to see people motivated to grow and learn and do well for their club."

Saturday's grand final starts at 1pm.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: