PRE-SEASON training in February and a host of returning players - CSU Mungoes Rugby League Club president Callum Flanagan admits it sounds 'a little weird' but it's something which has him excited.
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It's something which has the talented hooker confident CSU can continue to build on its strong run in the Mid West League in recent seasons.
Not only has a CSU Mungals side been crowned the Mid West league tag premiers every season since that premiership was introduced, but the Mungoes have played in the last four cup grand finals.
That sort of success is both luring players back for another campaign and attracting new talents keen to play for CSU. Rhys Power, who coached the Mungoes to last year's decider, is back on deck as mentor too.
"Our first training was really impressive to be honest. It's really early so we still haven't got our first years, but we still had about 15 blokes turn up," Flanagan said.
"I was talking to Rhys about it and we thought 'Geeze, we've gone a bit early with training here' but the 15 guys that showed up was unexpected and massive.
"Not only that, but when they were out there training, they were giving it a 100 percent. There was a great feeling out there on the training field this early on.
"A lot of these boys have been there for all four grand finals and were lucky enough to be there when we did secure a win, but even the boys who were there last year when we came so close, they're all keen as to get in there.
"That's a massive turn out for this time of year and we're expecting 600 new students coming in to the uni this year, so that's a pretty good sign."
Though CSU has lost Zac Leach-Deahm, Nik Booth and Pat McGarry from the team which played Oberon in last year's decider and fullback Braydon Wicks is yet to confirm if he'll be back, Flanagan already knows the Mungoes have a strong core to work with.
"A great majority of our players - Matt Knight, Blake Schafer will still be around - we still have a lot of the old boys playing with us," Flanagan said.
"We have got Zac Hunt and Fin Grabham coming back and they're going to bring a few mates, which will be good.
"Adam Booth, we're pretty confident he'll be sticking around for us as well."
Booth, should he play as expected, is an option for the number one jumper should Wicks opt to play elsewhere in 2021.
But the remainder of the spine, Flanagan plus halves Joe Coady and Lachie Wilson, will be the same as last season. That is a rarity for the university club.
"It's hard to have a spine in the Mungoes two years in a row, but we've pretty much pulled it off. Depending on what Wicksy is doing, we may pull off the entire spine staying two years in a row," he said.
"We've had some promising looks from a couple of new townies coming down, there are a couple of blokes there looking like they can play in core positions - halves, hooker, fullback - so yeah, we're looking positive."
