With the Peter McDonald Premiership at its halfway point, it's the perfect time to take stock of what we've seen so far in the inaugural western-wide competition.
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We've had a look at the teams and given the reason why the level of play is only going to get better in the second half of the year, and now it's time to analyse individual players.
As has been the case in previous seasons, your Australian Community Media reporters from around the region have put their heads together and come up with the annual Top 20 Most Influential list.
After you've had a look at our selections, scroll to the bottom of this article and you can have your say and vote in our poll.
20. Josh Bermingham (Nyngan Tigers)
Might seem a little strange to have someone who's only played two matches this season make the list but those who have seen Bermingham since he's linked with Nyngan won't argue.
A classic halfback with strong a strong kicking game and real organisation skills, Bermingham is just what the Tigers have been lacking.
"Josh is going to be a big plus for us," captain-coach Jacob Neill said recently.
A Warren product who's been in Sydney in recent years, Bermingham had barely touched a footy in the past two years due to COVID-impacted competition.
We haven't seen the best of him or Nyngan yet this season.
19. Jackson Brien (Bathurst St Pat's)
He's a Western Ram for good reason, and when Jackson Brien plays well, normally St Pat's do too.
A no-nonsense footballer who simply gets the basics right, Brien is key to his side's effective left-edge attack and when Zac Merritt plays, the two are simply unstoppable.
While there's only three tries to his name this season, Brien's best performance came in the 28-16 win over Orange Hawks.
Constantly beating his opposite number on the outside, the centre showed how dangerous he can be with space and if St Pat's can get its left-side combination working effectively than they're going to be a dangerous side.
18. Alex Ronayne (Macquarie Raiders)
Plays with as much heart as anyone in the competition. The Western Rams captain and Macquarie Raiders captain-coach is as tough as they come and leads by example on the field.
Injury has hampered his first half of the season and that's a big reason behind the Raiders' inconsistent showings so far this season.
He's been forced to play lock due to other injuries in recent weeks but if Ronayne can get back to the second-row and use his strong running game out wide then there's no reason the Raiders won't climb the ladder.
17. Jake Grace (Forbes Magpies)
Forbes was unbeaten in the opening four rounds, with a win over Mudgee in an incredibly physical battle one of the highlights.
Then in the early stages of the round five meeting with Dubbo CYMS, lock Jake Grace went off injured.
The Magpies lost that game, just got past the winless Wellington the following week, drew with Nyngan and then lost to Parkes after that.
Grace is one of a number of old heads back at the club this season after Forbes struggled and won just two games last year.
The premiership-winning captain is one of the most respected players in the game and the Magpies need him back on the park sooner rather than later.
16. Corin Smith (Mudgee Dragons)
'Cozza' scores tries for fun. It's that simple. And he'll do it from virtually anywhere on the park. He's done it in red and white for over a decade.
And, so far, 2022 has been no different.
Age has robbed Smith of some of that electric pace he had earlier in his career but experience is invaluable, and he's still the sort of x-factor any Group 10 or Group 11 side would love to have out wide too.
A key man for Jack Littlejohn so far as Mudgee races to the top of the Peter McDonald Premiership ladder.
15. Deryne McKenzie (Orange Hawks)
Without its barnstorming front-rower, Orange Hawks lack go forward. It's as simple as that.
On so many occasions in recent weeks, Hawks have had the ball in attacking territory but the cherry on top just isn't there.
McKenzie is that cherry on top and it's no coincidence that when he's out, Hawks struggle.
In the 46-4 loss to Bathurst Panthers, McKenzie only featured for 20 minutes while he was missing for Hawks' 28-16 defeat against Bathurst St Pat's at Wade Park and the close 20-18 win over Lithgow Workies.
Despite only playing in two 20-minute stints each game for the majority of the Peter McDonald Premiership, McKenzie's impact is incredibly noticeable and it's almost rare for him to not crash over at least once a game.
14. Ethan Bereyne (Orange CYMS)
When you need to disrupt the opposition's defensive pattern, throw this man the ball.
On almost every occasion Ethan Bereyne has taken a hit-up this season, he's beaten his man.
Every time Pat Williams or Joe Lasagavibau have thrown him the ball, there's something waiting to happen and over the season he's picked his moments.
There's been a controlled aggression to the way the second-rower has played this year and he's crossed the paint more than once.
The fact Mortimer will return in coming weeks will add another bow to CYMS' attack, and it'll be Bereyne looking run off the slick ball-playing of his skipper.
13. Jack Creith (Parkes Spacemen)
It takes some guts to create a style of play vastly different to every other in the competition but that's what Creith has done at Parkes in his first season as captain-coach.
If you get the chance to watch Parkes this season, do it. Short kick-offs and dropouts, offloads and flick passes are pretty common. It's entertaining.
Creith is at the heartbeat of it all at five-eighth. In a huge blow for Parkes, he suffered a broken eye socket in a recent win over Macquarie and isn't expect back on the field for roughly another month.
His leadership and skillset will be missed and how the Spacemen perform without him in the coming weeks could go a long way to deciding their season.
12. Jeremy Thurston (Dubbo CYMS)
As hard to tackle as anyone in the competition.
A big body in the centres who's got pace and footwork, Thurston is a handful for any defence and at the midway point of the season only Bathurst Panthers winger Desi Doolan has more tries.
Thurston has played a little fullback as well this season and is completely at home there, with his performance in the derby win over Macquarie last time out proof of that.
CYMS has attacking weapons all over the park and coach Shawn Townsend could virtually change his backline week-to-week and lose very little, but in Thurston the side has someone who can break a game open.
CYMS teammate Jesse Ramien summed it up best after Thurston's recent two-try performance against Nyngan.
"It's just incredible what he does. He amazes me with what he does some days," he said.
11 Daniel Mortimer (Orange CYMS)
A good spy told us that without captain-coach Daniel Mortimer, Orange CYMS probably would've started the season with a loss at Nyngan in round one.
With only a two-point difference, there's no doubt his experience would've helped secure victory in a nail-biter.
Despite that strong start, Mortimer's been restrained to the plastic chair as he coaches from the sideline due to a facial injury and concussion in round two against Wellington Cowboys.
As the only NRL premiership winner playing in the Peter McDonald Premiership, the CYMS halfback is simply a class above and will be instrumental in his side bouncing back from its 35-18 loss to Panthers.
10. Jake Betts (Bathurst Panthers)
Taking over from the great Doug Hewitt at Panthers, after what was one of the club's golden periods in Group 10, would be a daunting task for most.
Not Bettsy.
Jake was an integral part of Panthers' premiership winning sides in 2018 and 2019, the tireless lock has again led from the front throughout what has been a men in black resurgence in the last six weeks.
No doubt Betts has learned a lot since taking the reins as captain-coach, with some early-season selections raising some eyebrows (No.1 on this list was left out for a while) but, luckily for Panthers, he's proved a fast learner.
With the ball, Betts' second-phase play is key. He'll offload almost at will if allowed to, and that work has really helped unlock Panthers' attack in 2022.
9. Clay Priest (Mudgee Dragons)
Get out there this weekend and ask any coach at any bush footy club what's the most important position in their side.
Ninety per cent of them will say prop, without any hesitation.
And in the form of Clay Priest, Mudgee has arguably the best one going in 2022.
A former NRL player, Priest has a massive motor and loves the physical stuff, so when clubs inevitably come to Glen Willow looking to bash the pants of the Dragons and ambush the league's best, expect Priest to be there front and centre giving it right back to them - and he'll probably lift Mudgee to victory in the process.
We love good props and they often top the list, but the calibre of players in the league in 2022 means Clay will have to be content at No.9.
8. Ben Marlin (Dubbo CYMS)
One of the most underrated players in the Western Rams region. We're here to put some respect on Ben Marlin's name.
A no-nonsense prop who gets through a mountain of work, Marlin has been asked to do even more this year.
With former captain-coach and fellow prop Jarryn Powyer missing for much of the first half of the season due to injury, Marlin has been the leader of the forward pack.
He's captained the side on occasion and been asked to lead the way for the exciting batch of youngster the Fishies have got coming through.
An 80-minute performance against Forbes' powerful forward pack was one highlight so far this season for someone who continually sets the platform for his side.
7. Joe Lasagavibau (Orange CYMS)
Everything the Lamborghini has touched this year, turns to gold.
Without Mortimer, the CYMS five-eighth has embraced the need to step up and be one of the senior men for his side.
Against Cowra in round three, he essentially put the side on his back and said 'come with me', running in a wonderful hat-trick that probably saw ten men beaten in total.
Joey was sensational the next weekend against Hawks in the derby, running in the winning try.
Whenever he has an opportunity on the inside, you sense the tension rising at Wade Park, and bums edging closer to the edge of their seat and almost every half chance he's had to step inside has resulted in a try.
It's not only his attack that's shining this year though, on the left edge he's created a brilliant defensive combination with centre Marcel Ikinofo and without their decisions in a 22-12 win over Lithgow, the result could've easily gone the other way.
6. Chad Porter (Parkes Spacemen)
Asked about Porter's performances recently, Parkes captain-coach Jack Creith raved about his halfback.
"It's just what people come to expect of him now. He's a really classy player," Creith said
With Creith currently sidelined and other key players having missed matches at different times during an injury-impacted opening to the season, Porter has been vital for the Spacemen.
His calmness on the ball is what every club wants from a halfback and he set the tone in last weekend's big win over Forbes. His kicking game is well-known while he's picked the right moments to run the ball this year and is currently Parkes' leading try-scorer.
5. Hayden Bolam (Bathurst St Pat's)
New colours. New town. New Group. Same old Hayden Bolam.
St Pat's has picked up another Forbes gem in the form of Bolam for 2022, after the two-time premiership winning Group 11 gun made the switch to Bathurst in 2021 but largely played reserve grade for the Saints.
He's now - rightly so, too - first picked for St Pat's most weeks in the top grade and should the blue and whites make any sort of noise in the new competition, it'll almost certainly be on the back of Bolam.
Dynamic out of acting half and rock solid in the middle of the field in defence, Bolam is exactly the sort of player Zac Merritt's side needs touching the ball more than anyone else out there on the field.
He'll get the big Bathurst boys rolling up the field like a well-oiled machine, and he'll pick the best times to inject that scheming running game into the mix too.
I bet the only question Merritt has come the mid-season break is 'where's Jaiden Burke?' - the pair proved an almost irresistible one-two dummy-half combination in the 2018 Forbes grand final victory.
4. Justin Toomey-White (Wellington Cowboys)
When rumours swirled during the off-season about Toomey-White potentially leaving Wellington the general feeling from many was if he leaves then the Cowboys fold.
Those doubters have been proved wrong, as Toomey-White committed himself to his club and community and the captain-coach has ensured the side keeps fighting this season.
After an off-season exodus of players the Cowboys haven't scored a win yet this season but Toomey-White's performances have kept his side in a number of games while his leadership is making those around him better from week-to-week.
The type of player who others want to play with, Toomey-White is regarded by many in Group 11 as the best player in the region.
3. Ben Thompson (Mudgee Dragons)
Benny Thompson is building up quite the bush footy resume.
A premiership winner with both Mudgee and Dunedoo, winning man of the match honours with the latter as the Swans lifted the 2020 Castlereagh League trophy.
A tenacious hooker, Thompson will stick his head where most wouldn't stick their boots - and that attitude has led the Dragons to the top of the table in 2022's Peter McDonald Premiership.
A star-studded side, Mudgee wouldn't be where it is after the long weekend bye if it wasn't for Thompson's efforts - and he's done it in a new position too.
He's been playing lock for Jack Littlejohn's Dragons this season, and that shift is a telling one. It's likely the move to the back of the scrum will at some stage clear a path for dynamic rake Jack Beasley to return to the Mudgee line-up full-time.
That one-two punch will be incredibly hard to stop, and adding that to a team already on top of the competition is a wonderful luxury to boast. And Thompson is at the heart of it all.
2. Mitch Andrews (Forbes Magpies)
Touch wood, cross your fingers, get yourself a lucky rabbit's foot and some horseshoes. It looks like Mitch Andrews is finally injury-free and we're starting to see the best of him.
The only player in the Western Rams region to make the NSW Country side this season, Andrews is one of the most fierce competitors in the Peter McDonald Premiership.
A fullback who hits as hard as he runs the ball, Andrews' ball carrying, playmaking, organisation and communication from the back is crucial for the Magpies.
Forbes has lost two games this season and Andrews missed one due to Country commitments while he was a standout in a beaten side against Parkes last round.
A highlight so far this season was a hat-trick in a win over Macquarie, a performance that came just days after being named in the Country squad.
1. Willie Wright (Bathurst Panthers)
In the opening four rounds, Bathurst Panthers' form was shaky.
They were out of the blocks with comfortable wins over Wellington and Cowra before defeats against St Pat's and Mudgee.
Enter Willie Wright.
Bang, a 46-4 win over Hawks with a try to Wright. Next up, Cowra were in his sights as he steered Panthers around the park for a 64-10 victory, kicking 10 conversions from 11 attempts. A hiccup along the way occurred with a 26-26 draw against St Pat's. Then the five-eighth was instrumental in leading his side to a 35-18 victory over the previously unbeaten Orange CYMS. Throw in a grubber and re-gather try to himself and Wright was challenging Josh Rivett and Keelan Bresac for man of the match honours.
If Wright stays on the field then it's incredibly possible that Panthers could be lifting the trophy at the end of the year.
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