WHAT'S better than scoring your first Peter McDonald Premiership try in 349 days? For Jackson Vallis it was doing it against his former club.
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On Saturday afternoon at Carrington Park as the Panthers beat St Pat's 28-20, Vallis was one of the try scorers for the men in black.
With 14 minutes left on the clock - and at that stage things still in the balance - Vallis palmed his way over in the right corner.
It was his first PMP try since scoring against the Mudgee Dragons in round nine last year.
"When I got the ball it was just go, I just saw the try line and it was go," Vallis said.
Just go is something Vallis has been long doing on football fields in Bathurst and across the Central West. But prior to this year he was doing it in a blue and white jumper.
Vallis spent his time developing in Group 10 Junior Rugby League with St Pat's, he enjoyed under 18s and under 21s premiership success as a Saint and last year was a regular in blue and white in the Peter McDonald Premiership.
But this year Vallis has made a change.
He's enjoyed two wins against his former club already - one in the final of the pre-season Bathurst Panthers Knockout, then in Saturday's ANZAC Day Rugby League Memorial Trophy match.
"I'd been with Pat's since I was nine, but it's been real good to get around the boys since I came over," Vallis said.
"A couple of mates play over here, I've got more mates at Panthers than Pat's, so I decided to come over.
"It did feel a bit weird playing against them [Pat's], but I'm really happy I came over to Panthers."
In Vallis the Panthers have found themselves one of the most versatile players in the PMP.
Last season Vallis started in the centres three times, at hooker twice, on the wing, in the second row and at lock. He was also deployed off the interchange bench seven times.
Last month Vallis came off the interchange bench in Panthers' season opening loss to Dubbo CYMS, but was shifted to centre the following week against Parkes.
Centres was where he was deployed against the Saints too. He was excellent in defence and showed his strength when scoring in the 66th minute.
"It was only my second game in the centres for them but yeah I like it, it's real good," he said.
While St Pat's scored the first eight points of Saturday's match, Vallis said he was always confident the derby would mark a change in Panthers' fortunes after two big losses.
He was proven correct.
"One hundred percent I felt we were going to win," Vallis said.
"I wasn't worried when they scored first, I had belief that the boys would get there.
"The difference was we just had the ball in our hands and didn't miss many tackles."
Vallis is hoping his wait for a third PMP career try isn't as long as it took between number one and number two.
But in the main he just hopes to keep doing whatever job is required for his new club.
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