BOB Weir medalist Jake Grace says his side is deserved premiership winners after stunning Dubbo CYMS and the wider Group 11 community with Sunday’s victory.
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Forbes stormed home to win 26-22, trailing by eight points as late as the 72nd minute, when Zac Merritt crossed before 18-year-old centre Mitch Andrews scored the match-winner with three minutes to play.
Churning through a mountain of work during an 80-minute effort in the middle of the park, Grace was instrumental in the win, scoring a try just after halftime to draw the Magpies level with CYMS at 10-all while leading from the front with his charges and defence.
It’s Forbes’ first win in the top grade since 1987, and after losing Group 11 deciders against CYMS in 2001, 2003 and 2004, the fact this year’s victory was against the Fishies made it all the more sweeter for the Magpies.
Thrilled to have won the game and honoured to be deemed his side’s best on the day, the inspirational lock said team success out-weighed any personal accolade that came his way.
“To win a premiership at a club that probably hasn’t had much success, to do it and have the support of the old boys, it’s exceptional. There’s not a lot better than this,” the 2016 man of the match said.
“It’s definitely great to win (the Bob Weir medal). I’m grateful I got it.
“To be honest though, the personal accolades you pick up, no disrespect to Bob at all, an individual trophy is nothing on what we achieved as a team. You can’t do that on your own.
“We deserved it. There was a time there where we couldn’t have given up, backs against the wall, eight points down, but we kept on coming.”
Grace rapt his entire pack, a clear strength of the Magpies all season.
The now premiers muscled up big time for virtually the entire game, with a 10 minute period mid-second half where CYMS’ second phase play was in full swing the only section of the decider CYMS’ forwards were on top of the black and white opponents.
With the likes of prop Zac Merritt in a rare vein of form, Grace’s side lifted on the grandest stage of all to end a premiership drought spanning 12 months shy of three decades.
“Everyone,” Grace fired when asked who impressed in the four-point win.
“Martin Herbert and Ben Maguire too and the boys that came off the bench, Traie Merritt, Brodie Hodges and Andrew Grogan and those boys but it was right across the board,” the skipper added.
“We were good enough from one to 17 and I couldn't ask for anything more.”