Orange CYMS recruit Jack Nobes has unfinished business as he returns to the club after departing in 2021.
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Nobes has been lured back to the green and gold from his hometown club Cowra Magpies and will play in the Peter McDonald Premiership for the first time in 2024.
He arrives at CYMS alongside player-coach Jack Buchanan, who also played in their curtailed COVID season of 2021, the same year he won the club's best and fairest.
CYMS was flying high when the premiership was called off due to lockdown, prematurely ending his first stint at the club, returning to Cowra for 2022 and 2023.
But with the Magpies only playing reserve grade last season and moving into Woodbridge Cup in 2024, Nobes jumped at the opportunity when his former teammate picked up the phone.
"Myself and Jack Buchanan both headed over that year [2021] and it got called off heading into finals unfortunately," he said.
"We were looking good as well, we had a very good side that year.
"Cowra only had reserve grade last year and I nearly left but I wanted to stay around and help them out but this year I was looking to go somewhere and as soon as Jack reached out it was a bit of a no brainer for me.
"Jack and I have a lot of history coaching and playing together."
Standards set high
Following one of the worst seasons in the club's long history, CYMS has embarked on a signing spree during the off-season.
Pulling on the green and gold will be ex-NRL players Buchanan and Dan Mortimer, Rhys Draper and former juniors Mitch Collins and Josh Board among others.
Nobes said the club's determination not to repeat 2023 helped convince him to make the move.
"Such a proud club like CYMS, with the year they went through it was pretty obvious that wasn't going to happen again," he said.
"They weren't going to just sit by, they were always going to go hard with recruitment.
"I know what Jack's like. He's not over there to not go all the way. He's going hard and trying to get the biggest and the best.
"The club isn't there to participate and scrape into finals."
Derby front of mind
One thing Nobes is eagerly anticipating is the derby against Orange Hawks, with the hooker naming it a major highlight of his time with the club.
"Being from Cowra we didn't get them [derbies]," he said.
"When I was over there, the two derbies we had - far out. It's very different, it's something I'm looking forward to.
"You'd turn up to Wade Park and all of a sudden there's nearly double the crowd you get at a regular game.
"It goes off, it's quite a grudge match and I enjoyed it."
