Parkes has finished 2024 rugby league season Peter McDonald Premiership runners up to a red-hot Mudgee Dragons outfit.
Sunday was grand final day and the Parkes supporters made the road trip to Glen Willow stadium in droves to see the first grade side contest their first grand final in 10 years - and their first in the new western competition.
But the home side soon showed they were determined to go one better than their own 2023 grand final loss to Dubbo CYMS.
The Dragons drew first blood with a try in the first four minutes.
Parkes did respond - Jacob Smede scored a double in the first half to see the Spacemen within reach at 18-12 at half time - but Mudgee was poised and ready to take every opportunity.
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A Parkes knock-on from the restart gave Mudgee an opening and they ran away to a 46-16 win over the following 40 minutes.
"They were red hot though, no one would have beat them yesterday," Parkes rugby league president Tony Dwyer said of the Dragons.
The club's incredibly proud of the Chad Porter-led side and how they've built through this season.
"We lost three of the best forwards in the competition after last year and everyone wrote us off early - we weren't even a hope," Dwyer said.
"To get to the grand final was a massive effort - and the Under 18s too were just one game shy.
"It's been a good year."
It was Mudgee's day, he acknowledged, the hosts just couldn't put a foot wrong.
"That's footy," he said.
He's equally adamant things are looking good for Parkes rugby league: with talks to begin with some of this season's recruits over the coming weeks but also plenty of local talent rising through the ranks.
"Our 16s won the grand final on Saturday," Dwyer said, his eye on those coming up from Parkes Marist Juniors to the 18s, and the Under 18s ready to step up to first grade.
"Things are looking good."
He was delighted the fans made the trip to Mudgee to back the boys.
"We had good support," Dwyer said.
"There was a lot of people from Parkes and a lot of old Parkes people who live away too - from Newcastle and Sydney, it was great to see them all and they all had their footy jumpers on."
Parkes Spacemen will wrap up their season with presentation this Friday night.
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