![RSL Colts and CYMS players shake hands at the conclusion of the weekend's first grade grand final. Picture by Amy McIntyre RSL Colts and CYMS players shake hands at the conclusion of the weekend's first grade grand final. Picture by Amy McIntyre](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/7d769d9c-ee18-4455-8cea-b583440f2118.JPG/r422_1119_7669_5504_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Three seasons, three grand finals between RSL Colts and CYMS.
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It likely would have been four, too, had it not been for the COVID pandemic resulting in the 2019/20 season being abandoned on the eve of finals.
The two clubs are quickly developing one of the best rivalries seen in the RSL Whitney Cup in some time.
The two sides remain vastly different in player profile and style but they are extremely even, having each been crowd premiers twice in the past four seasons.
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As is always the case, the weekend's grand final had its heated moments but there was also plenty of mateship on show post-game and during the celebrations.
"That's the way you want cricket to be," Colts captain Marty Jeffrey said after the final.
"You don't want to go out there and just have a muck-around, you want to go out there and make every run count and fight for those runs."
While Colts won the weekend's final by a relatively convincing six wickets - thanks largely to man of the match Greg Buckley's six wickets and Jeffrey's 47 not out - the winning captain said it was never easy.
"It wasn't comfortable batting, I can say that from our innings and the same could be said for their batters. I think we made them feel pretty uncomfortable," he said.
"That's cricket and there's young kids in their side like Cooper Townsend and Fletcher Hyde who came out and both stood up and played good knocks for their side and they can take a lot of experience from that.
"That's what it's all about."
As disappointed as CYMS captain Ben Knaggs was post-game, he was all too aware of the quality his side and Colts have served up in recent seasons.
The two sides are loaded with representative players and the grand final was billed as a tantalising battle between Colts' star-studded and experienced batting lineup - headlined by Jeffrey, Chris Morton, Brad Cox, Mitch Bower and Buckley - and the three-pronged pace attack CYMS have in Knaggs, Bailey Edmunds and Matt Purse.
Knaggs admitted post-game the batting performance of his own side was not up to the level required in the decider but he gave credit to Colts for simply being the better team when it mattered.
"Marty said it, it's good coming up against each other and we play our best cricket against each other," the Cougars captain said.
"We're really dominant, our two clubs, and it's definitely a rivalry that will go on for many years to come."
The match was also special for Knaggs and Jeffrey, who came through the junior ranks at Newtown together.
![Ben Knaggs and his CYMS teammates had another top season but the Cougars missed out on a premiership win. Picture by Amy McIntyre Ben Knaggs and his CYMS teammates had another top season but the Cougars missed out on a premiership win. Picture by Amy McIntyre](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/ea08a52c-dd5a-4ad6-8705-59b381ae89d2.JPG/r936_1009_7449_4733_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The pair have been captains at their respective clubs for a number of years now and have taken turns lifting the silverware for the past four summers.
"It's pretty nice, me being a captain and Marty being a captain," Knaggs said.
"We've played so many junior games together and it's quite nice to go up against him and battle against him.
"We're good mates and that's really cool."
Given the quality of the two teams, it would come as no surprise to see the pair meet again in next season's biggest match.
While there's a number of older heads in the Colts side and the temptation to hang up the boots or drop back to second grade may be there after another title triumph, it's a different story for the Cougars.
A much younger side, CYMS could potentially only lose Harry Bayliss to university next season.
"We're quite a young team and we probably only lose Harry so if we can keep the rest of the team together the future looks pretty bright," Knaggs said.
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