ZAC Russ was surprised to have polled the three points from the referees in The Northern Daily Leader Group 4 Player of the Year Award on Saturday.
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It was his first strike in the individual best and fairest competition in his debut season as North Tamworth captain-coach.
Last season he concentrated on his own game but this season he’s had plenty on his coaching plate, trying to mould a new-look side into another premiership-winning side.
Last season was almost clockwork for coach Brad McManus on the Bears’ journey to a first grade premiership and Clayton Cup and it looks a million miles away for Russ.
On Saturday his side spluttered around to a 44-16 win over an Oxley Diggers side his team would have beaten by 80 or 90, and did, last year.
Sure, the Diggers are better, with the likes of Chris Hunt and Iowane Divavesi adding to their squad, but on Saturday the Bears went through the motions.
Playing an opponent they knew they were going to beat the Bears lacked that clinical finish of last season.
They also lacked the likes of Abel Carney, Corey and Dylan Manicaros as well as a couple of talented new Fijians.
Winning an individual honour wasn’t on Russ’s mind, rather finding a better and more seamless team game.
“That’s a surprise,” he admitted when told he had won The Leader award.
“There were plenty of guys out there today who deserved it more than I did.”
He thought his side “lost its way” at stages in a game of more individual efforts than team play.
“It’s hard to single any one out,” he said.
“I don’t think we switched on today.”
However there were periods where that smooth attacking flow did happen.
He’s sure his side is striving to find that simple but intimidating pattern.
His main problem now is the lack of game time to put that into effect.
“We don’t play for three weeks.
“We play Wee Waa now but they only have reserve grade then it’s the long weekend and then the week after that is a general bye.
“Our next game is against Narrabri.”
Russ’s three points leaves him in equal seventh on the B&F table with clubmate Shane-Leigh Wadwell, West Lions backrowers Tom Hine and Jake McLoughlin, Narrabri Blues captain-coach Lachlan Cameron and Sam Sadler as well as Gunnedah’s Aaron Donnelly.
Lions forward McLoughlin joined him after polling the two points in Sunday’s 46-20 win at Narrabri where fullback Dylan Lake grabbed his second three-point game of the season and zoomed up to equal second with Scott Blanch, just two points behind West wizard Matt Nean.