The green and golds were one of the most successful clubs of the last decade under the stewardship of Mick Sullivan, but after the veteran left to head back home after season 2018, CYMS dropped out of finals contention in 2019.

Now, Mortimer is determined to bring the good times back.

"Success breeds good times, good memories and good culture," the new captain-coach said.

While he's been leading the side for a few months in preseason, and has been "really happy" with how the club's been going, Mortimer is still a bit in the dark as to where his side stacks up - but he's planning to turn that into a positive.

"I've been away for 13 years so I'm a bit out of the loop to be honest but it's been a fresh start," he said.

"It doesn't matter if they played first grade or reserves, I don't know much about the team of the boys and everyone's noticed there's a look at them with fresh eyes.

"Everyone's been training well but you don't know until you start playing.

"I've had preseasons in NRL when you're absolutely flying and you think you're going to kill it and it doesn't happen, and vice versa."

Mortimer admitted he was still finding his feet in Orange, and the change from the high-pace and the intensity of the top level was still something he was adjusting to, despite being out of the professional system for well over 12 months since finishing up with Leigh Centurions in the UK.

"It's definitely still finding my feet because it's different, you don't have the boys every day," he said.

He said he was still wrapping his head around his troops having jobs and missing training sessions due to work or family commitments.

"It's a different dynamic, you can't build too quickly because some boys will be at work and miss a session and you have to go back and revisit it with them," he said.

"It's slower than I was hoping but it's a long season and we don't need to win the first few, we need to win the last few."

He hasn't ridden the CYMS group - which has had a healthy contingent to each session - too hard, focusing more on untangling 10 years worth of structure, calls and plays to overhaul the green and golds' play style ahead of 2020.

"There's no point doing miles and miles in the legs when you're trying to teach them a new structure," he said.

"Now I'm bringing all new calls in as well - they have to learn the new calls, learn the new structure and somehow get fit on top of that.

"It's a juggling act but that structure has to come first."

Having brothers Tim and Robbie around has been a massive boost, too, helping keep tabs on how he's going, and he's loved having the chance to get a run alongside them - the closest he's been to playing alongside a sibling was in a 2010 trial game with Tim at the Eels.

"They're giving me a bit of feedback about how country footy's done because I don't know - I left town when I was 16," he said.

Being back permanently is still something which hasn't clicked too, despite the presence of "trooper" wife Taz and newborn Amelia.

"It feels like I'm still visiting, don't know when it'll sink in that I'm here. It's still almost like I'll get in the car and drive back," he said.