It was a grand final for the ages at Nabiac: a first-half display of assault and battery by the Manning River Ratz, absorbed and almost welcomed by Wallamba before the Bulls ran out decisive winners of the Lower Mid North Coast rugby union premiership.
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In near perfect mid-winter conditions, the Bulls ran in two tries to the Ratz' one in the first half to lead 14-7 and then before a large and at times incredulous crowd, the Bulls completed their third premiership triumph with three more second-half tries to complete a resounding 31-14 victory.
Who said old defeats don't leave ugly scars?
They certainly create vivid memories?
Only last month the Bulls hurled down the gauntlet to the Ratz, defeating them four tries to nil and 22-3 at Taree.
It was a lesson inflicted that more than brute force alone was needed to depower the Bulls.
This was a combination of brains and brawn, willpower married to muscle.
Players such as the Bulls' forwards, Dominic Liegl, Roger Bush, Luke Holbrook Jeremy Kelly, Zane Bales, Luke Martin, William Lai - his brother Geoffrey was missing, required for work - are rarely mentioned in despatches, but they provide the framework and physicality of an excellent team.
And behind them are the slick, silent authority of halfback and captain, Andrew Paynter and his creative inside backs, Chris Tout and Jackson Martin, a player of the future, one about to break out of his shell.
But, the heart and soul of this club have been created by one man - coach Daniel Sawyer.
He has manufactured an attitude in the team, an ethos, which only hard work and mateship and trust can reward. It was apparent on Saturday.
They don't hand out "Coach-of-the-Year" awards, but Sawyer certainly deserves one for his tireless hard labour through the winter of 2022, and before.
He has produced a team capable of all the refined violence and skill needed to win a Kennards Hire premiership.
It was visible on Saturday.
But then who should be at the heart of the forward battle and ordered from the field by the Referee- of-the-Year, Greg Boyer, none other than the smallest maestro in the game, Daniel Hessing, who believes he was ordered off "probably once or twice before" in his splendid career.
Wallamba organised a grand final afternoon as enjoyable as any in years.
Rodney and his committee, Eric and all the volunteers, Mathew Morris and his Nabiac Hotel, deserve accolades.
And president, Steve Rees and all the Ratz should be delighted by their Club-of-the-Year award even if the big one eluded them.
Andrew Paynter remarked on the exhausting training which coach Sawyer inflicted on the squad, but with the shield resting on the shelf of the Nabiac Hotel, not a member of the club will be moaning about their preparation now.
