He’s well clear too.

Betts leads another Panther, Jeremy Gordon, by four votes after the completion of 13 rounds, with the young Bathurst backrower earning 14 votes. Gordon has 10.

The pair of Panthers lead Mudgee’s Jack Afamasaga (nine votes), Cowra’s Ron Lawrence (nine) and Orange CYMS prop Simon Osborne (eight) as the only other real chances of catching Betts with five competition rounds remaining in 2016.

Osborne finished last year’s premier league vote count in second place while Lawrence is a regular at the pointy end of the player of the year vote.

Should Betts win, it’ll be the biggest bolter to claim the award since 2007, when Dean Corrigan won the award as captain-coach of a Cowra side that failed to make the finals that season.

Betts’ Panthers take on defending premiers CYMS this Sunday at Carrington Park.

In first division, Oberon’s Dallas Booth is leading the race with 10 points – however, he’s buffer at the top is not as comfortable as Betts’.

Shannon Peters, from St Pat’s, is on nine points while Orange CYMS stalwart Des Knight has turned back to the clock this season, and also sits on nine points.

Another green and golds gun, Matt Morris is also within reach of Booth with seven points. Panther Joey Bugg also has seven.

If Booth can maintain his form over the final five weeks of the season, the Tigers could be gunning for a double if Josh Rivett is also able to continue his vein of form in the under-18s.

In a two horse race, Rivett leads from Adam Fearnley, the gun Bathurst Panthers five-eighth that’s just one point behind Rivett’s 14 points.

CYMS gun Mitch Leonard is in third, a little way back with nine points.

While in league tag, two of the Blayney Bears’ best players are gunning to complete a rare quinella.

Olivia Bird and Sophie Stammers are in the top three of the Group 10 league tag premierships player of the year votes, with the official winners to be revealed at the game’s awards night at Bathurst Panthers later in the year.

After 13 rounds of the competition, Bird leads the votes with 15 while Stammers is third with 12 points.

The only stumbling block to a wonderful one-two Bears finish appears likely to be CYMS gun Rebecca Ford, who is tied with Bird on 15 points after 13 rounds.

The Blayney club has a bye in round 14 before all four grades return to the field in round 15 against the tough Bathurst St Pat’s.