Patchy showers held off for most of the afternoon and the Cronulla Sharks and Penrith Panthers turned on a great display of skill and power.

Add a thrilling finish and you have all the ingredients of a wonderfully successful partnership between Panthers and Bathurst Regional Council that will continue for another four years, at least.

The only possible disappointment was the official crowd figure of 8824, well down on the 10,000 the promoters hoped to attract.

A heavy overnight storm and early showers may have kept some fans away on the day, but Saturday’s spectacular deserved a larger crowd than that.

For decades, country league fans have bemoaned the lack of support for the game at the grassroots level and criticised the big city clubs for not doing enough to support the game in the bush.

So Panthers – and council – have every right to feel a bit let down by the turnout.

This is just year one of five though, and we have a great platform to build from.

As the Western Advocate revealed on Saturday, council is already looking at some improvements at Carrington Park to make it more comfortable for players and spectators in future years.

And it might also be worth looking at the timing of the match to avoid playing it in the depths of winter.

Perhaps bringing the game here in April next year would increase the crowd, and playing during the school holidays would avoid clashes with local junior sport.

There is plenty to like about this five-year deal with the Panthers – let’s just hope more fans support the initiative in the years to come.