The boys in black poured on 30 unanswered points after half time to down Orange CYMS 47-10 and cap a stellar season.

Coach John Fearnley said the premiership was a fitting way for his boys to say farewell to the junior ranks, which isn’t to say he thought Saturday’s finale was as easy as a nine-tries-to-two scoreboard may indicate.

“We didn’t play a lot of football in the last month so I was a little bit worried,” Fearnley said, pointing out his side’s minor premiership and major semi-final win had limited them to a single game in the past month.

“That first half there wasn’t much between the two sides, but I think the long semi-final period has probably hurt CYMS a little bit.

“We were coming in fresh and that probably helped in the end.”

There can be little doubt Panthers’ fitness told a tale in the back end of what was, for a long time anyway, a tight and fiercely-fought encounter.

Panthers led at the break on the back of tries to Noah Griffiths, Nic Barlow and Mackenzie Atkins – all three of whom scored again in the second half to finish the game with doubles – along with a pair of conversions to Dylan Miles and a field goal from Griffiths.

CYMS’ first-half and, as it transpired, only points came via tries to Mitchell Collins and Aidan Seale, with Lachlan Griffith slotting a solitary conversion.

At 17-10 it seemed an open contest, but Panthers put paid to that notion almost immediately after the break, with Nathan Ward, Luke Hundy and Miles crossing for their parts in a six-try second-half demolition.

CYMS were helpless against the flow of points, their dreams of a fifth-to-premiers fairy tale in tatters.

CYMS coach Craig Piper took time to console his more dejected players after full time, and noted the immense courage they displayed to even make it to the season’s last day.

“There were times this year when we thought we might not even have a side take the field,” Piper said.

“But we fought and fought and finished fifth. To make a grand final from there is a great effort.

“The club should be proud of these boys. I am.”

Fearnley agreed with those sentiments, noting the long-term rivalry between the two sides.

“Full credit to CYMS, they’re a really good side,” he said.

“We played them last year in the grand final and they beat us, so there’s been a close competition between the two sides and there’s not much difference between them.”

BATHURST PANTHERS 47 (Noah Griffiths 2, Nic Barlow 2, Mackenzie Atkins 2, Nathan Ward, Luke Hundy, Dylan Miles tries; Miles 5 goals, Griffiths field goal) defeated ORANGE CYMS 10 (Mitchell Collins, Aidan Seale tries; Lachlan Griffith goal)