It wasn't the smoothest of moves west but Jayson Bukuya is now feeling settled in the country and delighted to see Dubbo CYMS winning.
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The former Fiji international made the move to the Fishies after bringing down the curtain on his decade-long NRL career in June.
The shift to the country, while somewhat disrupted by the COVID-19 lockdown, has been a welcome one for the Bukuya family.
The premiership winner's wife Ronnie-Lea hails from Brewarrina originally and that's where they first moved and spent the lockdown before some brief time back in Sydney but they're now based in Dubbo.
"It's good. We like it in the country and we're glad to get out of Sydney," Bukuya said after seeing CYMS down the Western Rams on Saturday.
"I'm from Queensland originally and my wife's from Bre so we had no ties to Sydney and we were happy to get out of there when we could."
He aggravated a shoulder injury in the first tackle of the match against the Rams at Apex Oval and while he toughed it out for the first 40 he spent the second stanza in the stands.
It added to a slightly frustrating start to life in green and white, as CYMS entered Saturday's match having started its cup campaign with losses to the North Sydney Bears and Maitland Pickers.
But even with their marquee man on the bench the Fishies lifted in the second half to run out 28-10 winners and kickstart their bid for the finals.
"I feel like we've been in every game we've played but we just haven't completed a full game," Bukuya said.
"Even today we were off the mark but we got the win and I feel like if the boys in the team can put a solid game together we'll mix it with any of them."
His impact on the field may have been minimal on Saturday but Bukuya is already making his presence felt around the CYMS club.
His experience and professionalism has been hailed and the man who played 186 NRL games during spells with the Sharks and New Zealand Warriors is eager to help the club in any way he can, adding he's keen to see younger players continue their development.
CYMS heads to Wollongong next weekend to play the Western Suburbs Devils in the cup and a win there would catapult the Jarryn Powyer-led side towards the top four.
And while he wants to see his new side play some consistent footy Bukuya said there was much more than the Presidents Cup than that.
"I think it's a great opp for the young fellas," he said.
"They get to travel to Sydney and Wollongong and play and that's good exposure and it's a great concept but the preparation hasn't been the best.
"Everyone had been in lockdown and isolation and a bit underdone, including myself, but I think if it can be organised a bit more better and there's a bit more prep it will go well."
Bukuya is no certainty to take on the Devils due to the ongoing shoulder injury and while prop Jack Kavanagh is getting closer to a return but may need another week to recover fully from a knee injury.
The Fishies will welcome Claude Gordon back from suspension for the round four contest.
That match is played 12pm next Sunday.
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