Look at all these smiling faces out and about in Parkes enjoying the Rabbitohs taking on Penrith in this year's grand final!
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It shows just how strong the appetite is for rugby league in the Central West.
The achievements of Isaah Yeo and Matt Burton will inspire the next generation of stars from the state's west to chase their dreams.
That's the feeling after the pair of St John's juniors helped the Penrith Panthers claim an NRL premiership win on Sunday night.
The Dubbo boys were in the thick of the action throughout the 14-12 win over South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium.
Matt Burton, who was playing a Group 11 grand final with Dubbo CYMS just three years ago, scored the opening try of the night while Yeo got to hold the silverware aloft with fellow co-captain Nathan Cleary after another tireless showing in the middle of the park.
"I just think it's great so much focus of that team was on the bush boys from the Central West," Group 11 secretary Paul Loxley said.
"Their profile within our community, because of their profile in the NRL, is going to be absolutely incredible.
"These kids are going to be talking about Matt Burton and Isaah Yeo, and guys like Charlie Staines in Forbes."
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The Panthers' connection with the Western Rams region is well known and the pathway has already developed a number of NRL players.
Sunday night's win was about all those players for people like Evan Jones, the NSW Rugby League's manager for Western.
Jones has seen that pathway develop during the past decade and led to the likes of Burton, Staines, Kaide Ellis, and Billy Burns all running out with the Panthers.
Staines was there supporting the Panthers from the sideline last night, alongside Wellington junior Brent Naden, after they failed to make the final 17 while a host of other Western juniors are already part of Penrith's lower grade system chasing their NRL dream.
"It's a reflection of the time and effort Penrith has put into our development programs and the development of our coaching staff and programs," Jones said.
"That's what all the kids who come through our Rams program aspire to.
"To see it's able to be realised gives that extra bit of motivation."
Having players from the Western reaching the peak of the game is nothing new.
It was only last year Orange junior Jack Wighton was winning the Dally M medal after a sensational year with Canberra.
Parkes' very own Billy Burns and Darby Medlyn played this season with the Dragons and Raiders respectively.
Bathurst's Will Kennedy was named Cronulla's best player for 2021 while former Woodbridge Cup player Cody Ramsey continues his development at St George Illawarra, alongside Ellis and Burns.
Former Wellington Cowboys star Kotoni Staggs remains one of the Brisbane Broncos' best players despite his injury woes in recent times while Braidon Burns (Coonamble), Tyrone Peachey (Wellington) and Josh Jackson (Gulgong) are just some of the others from the state's west performing at the very top of the game.
"History will show we've had the depth out here," Loxley added.
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