With all the interest around the inaugural Peter McDonald Premiership this season, Forbes enforcer Traie Merritt is regularly asked who he thinks is the best team in the competition.
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For him, it's a simple answer.
"Everyone asks me all the time who's the team to beat and say we're the team to beat," the back-rower said.
"They way we play and the physicality, I think we probably have the best forward pack in the comp. I think we can take it to anyone."
After a slight slump during the middle of the season, Forbes roared back to form last weekend and thumped the Bathurst Panthers 40-24 on their own turf.
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Panthers hadn't lose in five rounds prior to that result and were one of the form teams in the competition.
The result reinforced Forbes' status as one of the top teams in the west and strengthened their hold on second spot in the Group 11 pool behind Dubbo CYMS.
CYMS is the team Forbes travels to play in an Apex Oval blockbuster on Saturday.
"CYMS is one of those sides you don't beat in the 60th minute or 70 minute, you beat them in the 80th," Merritt said.
"The more we can keep holding the ball and turning up, then I reckon we can get over them.
"I haven't watched too many CYMS games. I'm more focused on what our side can do and where we're at. CYMS will always turn up and you know what they'll being every game.
"They'll bring 100 per cent so it should be a good battle. I know we'll bring it and I hope they do too."
CYMS' forwards muscled up against the highly-regarded Mudgee pack in last weekend's clash between the sides with the two best records in the competition.
The only loss Mudgee has suffered prior to last weekend was a 22-20 defeat at the hands of Forbes back in round two.
The Magpies forward pack was immense that day and it was back to its best during the win over Panthers last time out.
Much of that had to do with the return of lock Jake Grace, the premiership-winning captain having missed five rounds due to injury before that.
Grace hurt himself early in the previous match with CYMS this season, a game in which Forbes led before being beaten 22-14.
"Just having Jake Grace back. He just seems to boost everyone around him," Merritt said.
"He gets through an immense amount of work and he just has an aura about him. He picks everyone else up and makes them play better."
As well as having Jake Grace back and NSW Country representative Mitch Andrews producing another five-star performance, the simple matter of holding the ball played a huge role for the Magpies in the win over Panthers.
Handling errors were an issue during losses to Dubbo CYMS and Parkes and a draw with Nyngan earlier this season but after making four errors inside the first 10 minutes last weekend, the Magpies had a perfect completion rate for the rest of the half.
"Something happened and we switched on," Merritt said.
"It's just holding the ball and backing ourselves better. Throwing offloads and playing what's in front of us, that's what gets us over the line a little.
"I wouldn't say we were worried (before last weekend). But it was just the confidence builder we needed.
"In that game we really stepped up and found our mojo."
The clash with CYMS on Saturday is followed by a crossover meeting with Cowra the following week.
A Group 10 side Merritt would like to play at some stage this year is Bathurst St Pat's.
Merritt spent the 2019 and 2020 Group 10 seasons with St Pat's while his older brother, Zac, is still captain-coach of the Bathurst side.
"It would be ideal to come up against the older brother but we're taking it as it comes. I reckon we'd get one over them too," Traie laughed, before speaking about being at home again the past two years.
"It's always good to be back at home. I'm around family and I've got two kids now so I'm enjoying being home and this is good to be a part of."
Kick-off in Saturday's game between CYMS and Forbes is 2.30pm.