WHEN Bathurst Panthers posted a 12-10 win over the Cowra Magies on Group 10 grand final day last season, it ended an 11-year wait for a premier league crown.
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This year the goal for Panthers is to go back-to-back and emulate the efforts of the men in black from seasons 2006-07.
Panthers are in a good position to achieve that goal - currently only Orange Hawks sit ahead of them on the ladder and that is based on a better for and against record.
But with three regular season games remaining, Panthers' Willie Wright - the man who booted the match-winning goal in last year's grand final - knows there are plenty of clubs keen to deny his side consecutive premierships.
The talented five-eighth knows there is pressure on he and his fellow Panthers to perform.
"There's a little bit of pressure there, it's different from last year. No-one counted us in to get anywhere last year, so having won it, yeah, it does put a little bit of pressure on us," Wright said.
"But we're up for the challenge, that's why we're equal first at the moment.
"We do a lot of bonding off the field, which is a really good thing for the club as well."
As for who Wright feels is Panthers' biggest threat, he nominates both Hawks and Lithgow.
"Pretty much we need to keep an eye on all of them, but I'd sort of stick out Hawks a little bit more than the rest of them," he said.
"I wouldn't want to be in Orange playing a semi-final or in Lithgow playing a semi-final. I'm pretty sure we'd be happy to be playing in Bathurst.
"It's a good comp, it's really close, pretty even. I just want us to get a home semi-final and go from there."
Here Wright's thoughts on the teams vying for a spot in the Group 10 finals series:
ORANGE HAWKS (first, 26 points)
AS mentioned, Wright views Hawks as the biggest obstacle between his Panthers and grand final glory again this season.
"Hawks is just professional, you know what you're going to get from Hawks week-in and week-out," Wright said.
"Hawks have been a benchmark ... for the last couple of years they've been a benchmark. Hawks can trouble teams."
MUDGEE DRAGONS (third, 22 points)
THE Dragons might not have beaten Panthers so far this season, but there has been little between the pair in their two meetings.
In round five Panthers snuck home 23-20 and in the rematch at Glen Willow, it was 14-10 at full-time.
"Mudgee, yeah they're tough," Wright said.
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LITHGOW WOLVES (fourth, 20 points)
WHEN Lithgow downed Bathurst Panthers 16-6 last Sunday afternoon, it marked seven wins on the trot.
They've climbed up from eighth on the ladder into fourth on the back of that streak, which means Wright now views them as very real premiership threats.
Panthers were the last side to have beaten Lithgow, scrapping home 22-20 on May 26.
"Lithgow doing what they are doing at the moment, I think they've won seven straight - you know I really think they're the dark horses," Wright said.
"It's been showing, they beat us over there and they put Mudgee to the sword in Lithgow as well, they put a pretty big score on them."
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COWRA MAGPIES (fifth, 16 points)
AS the man who denied Cowra a grand final success in front of their home crowd last season, Wright knows firsthand what the Magpies are capable of at the pointy end of the season.
The Magpies have won four on the trot and with Jeremy Gordon back on the paddock, they are certainly not a team to be dismissed.
"Cowra, I mean they've got Jez, Claude [Gordon], Gunny [Ben Gunn]. They showed last year what kind of team they were and I think they only lost their hooker from last year - Benji [John] - but they gained Claude out of that," Wright said.
"If Cowra get a chance, I'd say they'll be pretty hard to beat if they make the semis."
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ORANGE CYMS (sixth, 14 points)
IT was Bathurst Panthers who ended CYMS' premiership tilt last season - Wright's side prevailing 21-20 in an elimination thriller - and since then the Orange outfit has lost twice to the men in black.
However, with some injured stars returning at the back end of the home and away season, it makes CYMS more of a threat.
"CYMS have been really injury struck, they've been so, so ruined with injuries all year," Wright said.
"But you can't count CYMS out if they get their players back, I think they'll be pretty strong if they get their players back."
OBERON TIGERS (seventh, 12 points)
FOR the Tigers to be part of this year's finals series, they need plenty to go their way.
It has gotten to the point where they need to win all their remaining games - they've got the bye this Sunday before facing Blayney and Panthers - hope Cowra and CYMS falter, and also score a bagful of points to improve their for and against.
In all likelihood the Tigers will not be there for finals, but with coach Josh Starling back from suspension, Wright is not quite willing to say it's done and dusted for Oberon.
"Oberon, you never know with Oberon," Wright said.
"In these last few games especially, they could stand up and come from nowhere.
"Getting Starlo back now too - there's a big boost for them."
