News of Pirates' exploits in winning a fourth straight premiership, and the mastermind behind it, has reached the ears of a Wallaby legend.
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As the club prepared for their presentation night on Friday night, Pirates mentor Mat Kelly received a message containing a video from George Smith.
In the video Smith says: "G'day Matty, it's George Smith here from the Classic Wallabies, just like to congratulate on your coaching career. Four premierships what an achievement".
"I hear the guys speak very highly of you so huge congratulations to you."
Kelly got the message about five minutes before the proceedings started.
"I was surprised," he said, adding that it was "very flattering".
He was a "massive" fan of the former Wallabies breakaway.
"I met him when I was a little kid," he recalled.
"It was when they had a training camp over at Coffs and I was playing for the Tri-colours."
As to how it all came about, he's not exactly sure but he has his suspicions as to the culprit.
"Biffo (Doug Biffin) is over there (Japan)," he quipped.
Biffin figured prominently among the award winners on Friday night, the backrower sharing the best and fairest with five-eighth Sam Collins.
It capped off what in Kelly's opinion was Biffin's best season in a Pirates jersey.
"Especially in that grand final, he was unbelievable (Biffin was named the player of the grand final)," he said.
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"He was just inspirational. The speech he gave before we ran out on grand final day was the best I've ever heard."
Collins unfortunately missed the grand final after injuring his achilles in their preliminary final win but was their "Mr Consistency".
"He held the team together playing 10 for us," Kelly said.
Named their best and fairest the last two years, skipper Conrad Starr, the man often described by Kelly as like a fine wine, didn't go home without any silverware, earning the vote from his peers.
Chad Lambert and Tony O'Connor were meanwhile named best forwards and Sam Collett the best back.
Richard Budd was adjudged the best and fairest for second grade, Miah O'Sullivan the women's 7s, Hugh Wolfgang the under-19s and Jake Vost the under-18s.
AWARD WINNERS
First grade: Best and fairest - Sam Collins and Doug Biffin, Players' player - Conrad Starr, Best back - Sam Collett, Best forward - Chad Lambert and Tony O'Connor
Women's 7s: Best and fairest - Miah O'Sullivan, Players' player - Phoebe McLoughlin, Most consistent - Alice O'Connor, Most committed - Tayla Styman, Leadership - Camille Fernando
Second grade: Best and fairest- Richard Budd, Players' player - Jye Paterson, Best back - Morgan Pennefather, Best forward - Will Sorensen
Under-19s: Best and fairest - Hugh Wolfgang, Players' player - Koen Reiri, Best back - Thomas Dietrich, Best forward - Blake Murphy, Most improved - Lachlan McCarthy
Under-18s: Best and fairest - Jake Vost, Players' player - Jye Taggart, Best back - Thomas McGrath, Best forward - Toby Maslen
Club awards: Highest pointscorer - Phoebe McLoughlin (156), Highest pointscorer - Simon Trappel (136), Representative player of the year - Toby Maslen, Junior clubperson - Bailey Wilson, Phar Lap Award - Bart Leach, Buccaneer's award - Keith "Doc" Hollebone, Club lady of the year - Lyn Trappel and Julie Collyer, Jack Cutcliffe Award - Hugh Wolfgang.
