"Unbelievable".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That was the first word out of Forbes captain Nick Greenhalgh's mouth after Saturday's Peter McDonald Premiership derby win over Parkes.
The Magpies wore blue "return to the nest" jerseys in a nod to the original Forbes Federals rugby league club and former under 18s premiership winners from the 1980s and 1990s were part of a huge crowd at Spooner Oval.
That passionate supporters were rewarded as Forbes won 20-12 in an intense and dramatic clash that featured an unfortunate broken leg for Parkes' Ponepate Musanamasi.
"That was unbelievable," Greenhalgh said post-match.
"That was one of the craziest games I've ever played. It's always a big day - Parkes against Forbes - and the boys really turned up."
READ ALSO:
The home game and reunion weekend were just two of the factors motivating the Magpies on Saturday.
There was a steely determination within the side after a heavy 34-14 loss to Parkes in the first derby clash of the season while a win was also needed on Saturday to keep alive hopes of a top two finish.
It took more than 15 minutes for the scoreboard to change for the first time and it was the Magpies who struck, with Ben Maguire crossing in the corner to put Forbes ahead 4-0.
Maguire's second came in that same spot a short time later when he collected a pass from Zeke Hartwig as the Parkes defence pushed the winger out in the corner.
Both conversions missed to leave it at 8-0 and after scoring points the Magpies proved they could defend too as Parkes enjoyed some sustained pressure.
Forbes then made it count when they got the ball back, Hartwig scoring in the corner much to the delight of the vocal home crowd, and Nick Greenhalgh added the extras to make it a commanding 14-0 at the break.
But early in the second stanza Magpies youngster Charlie Lennon was sent to the sin-bin and things changed.
The Spacemen gained some momentum and Tikiko Noke muscled over the try line to narrow the gap to 14-6.
That proved to be about as good as things got for Parkes as Mitch Andrews scored again for Forbes before Noke grabbed his second late on.
"Our boys kept turning up. Our defence was magnificent," halfback Greenhalgh said.
"That's what we're going to pride ourselves on going into the finals and if it's anything like it was today we'll go a long way."
Coach Cameron Greenhalgh also praised his side's defence, while adding his son Nick and Jake Grace were two of the standouts.
Nick, who remains second behind Parkes' Chad Porter in the leading point-scorer race, said much of the success was also due to the fanatical home support.
The Magpies lapped the ground acknowledging their fans post-game as the 1980s club song "Up the Magpies" blasted through the speakers.
"The atmosphere was crazy, it was unreal," the captain said.
"There's a lot of people that came from far and wide to watch this game, the reunion game, we thank them very much for coming back and we hope to have a beer with all of them."
The win keeps Forbes in third spot, one point behind Macquarie heading into the final round.
Macquarie faces Group 11 pool leaders Dubbo CYMS next weekend while Forbes hosts Nyngan.