There will come a moment in Sunday's grand final when Dubbo CYMS coach Shawn Townsend turns to his bench and tells Brydon Ramien and James Stanley to get ready.
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When that moment comes, the powerhouse pair will know what to do.
"We fire each other up," Stanley said of Ramien.
"I say to him before the game 'let's change this game'. That's what we do."
The hulking pair have been crucial to CYMS' success this season, bringing real physicality and a shot of energy for the Fishies whenever they enter the fray.
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Stanley's style is well known. There's few who love pulling off a big shot more than the former Wellington junior while he carries multiple would-be tacklers with him almost every time he's got a ball in hand.
Ramien is another who's a handful to bring down whenever he has a carry while his versatility has also been a real bonus for Townsend.
While Stanley is regularly found at prop, Ramien featured at centre early in the year when the Fishies were dealing with a number of injuries while his running game is a real weapon in the back-row, with a double in the win over Orange CYMS in the week one of finals proof of that.
"You can't beat bush footy. Bush footy, for me, is the toughest footy you can play," Ramien said.
"Playing off James is just tremendous. For me, he's one of the best impact players coming off the bench in the competition. He's unreal."
Given the strength of Forbes' forward pack, the performances of Ramien and Stanley will be vital on Sunday.
They will be key to CYMS' hopes of keeping momentum or wrestling momentum back, depending on how the biggest match of the year starts.
"I love doing that," Stanley said of impacting matches.
"That's what 'Shaggy' (Townsend) says to me each game so I do the same thing each week. I try and change the game with some hard runs or a big shot.
"I love it. It's the best. Getting up and challenging someone, especially a team like Forbes. They've got a big pack and they love a challenge and so do I so I can't wait for Sunday."
Many in the western area consider Forbes' forward pack the best in the competition, with inspirational lock Jake Grace leading the way while Tongia Fox, Jake Haddrill and Traie Merritt are all experienced campaigners, young gun Charlie Lennon has been a revelation in the second half of the season, and Ben Maguire and Marty Herbert impact proceedings from the bench.
"They've got a good forward pack, they're very strong, and they're very physical," Ramien said.
"They like a challenge and so do we. It will make us play better and play harder and no doubt it will be one of the best grand finals."
There's never a lack of motivation on grand final day, but Ramien admitted there is a little more this year as Sunday offers the chance to be crowned the first Peter McDonald Premiership champion.
The CYMS club had long been an advocate for bringing Group 11 and Group 10 together in one competition, and given this year is the first time it has happened there's a real desire to be crowned premiers.
"We talked about it at the start of the year," Ramien said.
"It's a tremendous thing for the club to be in this all together and to be the first team to take it out would be a tremendous feeling."
"It was the plan at the start of the year, to get here," Stanley added.
"And now we're here we want to get it done. I think we've got the team."
While the likes of Jarryn Powyer, Jyie Chapman, Alex Bonham, Ben Marlin and Billy Sing have been apart of this CYMS side for the best part of the last decade and are chasing another title win, both Ramien and Stanley are after a first premiership in green and white.
Stanley previously came through the ranks at Wellington while Ramien, who's brother Jesse is an NRL star at Cronulla, played first grade on the Central Coast and had stints at both Forbes and Cowra before linking with CYMS ahead of the 2021 season.
"I absolutely love it," Ramien said of life with CYMS.
"The club looks after you on the field and off the field so to win these guys a premiership would be one of the best things I could do. It's a tremendous club."
Sunday's grand final kicks off at 3pm at Apex Oval.
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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.
