In the immediate aftermath of Pirates' grand final triumph on Saturday captain Conrad Starr said the magnitude of what they had achieved hadn't really sunk in.
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In upsetting minor premiers Walcha 26-24 they became the first side to lift the Heath Shield - the symbol of Central North supremacy - four years-in-a-row on two separate occasions.
Incidentally they completed the four-peat at the same venue they accomplished it the first time, Walcha, and in a similar manor, rallying from 18-5 down at half-time. In 2012 they trailed 16-8 at the break before fighting back to get home 23-19, Jake Douglas sealing the victory with six minutes remaining.
On Saturday the match-winner came with just three minutes on the clock of what was an absorbing and see-sawing tussle.
"It was a close battle the whole day, it could have gone any way at any point and we're just very lucky we stuck to it and we snuck away with it right at the end," Starr said.
He has led them to all four titles in their recent run, and along with an immense pride spoke of a feeling of relief.
"We've put so much into it and it (four straight) hasn't really sunk in to be honest," he said.
"It was just relief when we finished the game."
"Tonight and probably tomorrow when we sit down and actually talk about it, and especially the older fellas, have a reminisce about a couple, that's when it will really sink in how big an achievement it is."
Their champion credentials were challenged this season as they haven't been in the last three but Starr never doubted that they could defend their title again.
"We knew we were going to be up against it but we always had the belief within the playing group," he said.
There were some tough times, Starr noting that they rarely had the same team on the paddock week in week out. Losing players in critical positions didn't also didn't make life easy.
"But that's the nature of our boys they just keep turning up for one another," Starr said.
They showed that on Saturday, twice pegging the Rams back.
Wes Rooney gave the premiers the perfect start when he finished well outwide to put them ahead 5-nil after five minutes.
The Rams hit back via the boot of Simon Newton.
After missing a couple of penalty attempts he then put them ahead midway through the first half. They then blew the game open with two scintillating long-range tries in the space of a couple of minutes.
Starr said at that point it did feel like they were up against it with the Rams skipping out to an 18-5 lead.
Importantly though they struck first in the second half, Bart Leach picking and driving his way over.
Replacement half-back Amos Ioasa then capitalised on some great work from the forwards to get them within one, Rooney adding the extras from the sidelines to put them up 19-18 with around 20 to play.
By then Starr felt they were starting to get the upper hand.
"We knew in front of a big crowd when they started to go a little bit quiet we knew we were really starting to tighten the screws a bit," he said.
The Rams came back hard at them, Newton kicking two quick penalties to reclaim the lead with seven minutes to play. But there was almost a sense of inevitability anytime Pirates got in their 22 that they were going to score, with their pick and drive game a real weapon, and when they got their chance they took it.
"That's something we've worked hard on," Starr said.
"We've always used to like playing pretty wide and we just thought we've got to have that short game as well and so we worked really hard on that and the boys executed that really well."
"Guys like Nick McCrohan are just a real specialist at it."
No side has ever won five straight before so it begs the question will he play on?
"There's no guarantees with that. We'll see how the body pulls up," he answered.
