Jeremy York's transition back to his rugby roots has appeared a pretty seamless one.
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The winger, who has flitted between union and league since he was a teenager, has been a damaging presence outwide for Tamworth; his 70m effort to almost snatch the points for the Magpies against Walcha last week the perfect illustration.
The Magpies will be hoping to see more of that on Saturday when they host the table-topping and unbeaten Harbour Knights.
The home side have been given a boost with Scott Blanch free to play. Blanch was red-carded late in the Rams' game but escaped any further punishment, receiving a formal warning.
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The inspirational North Tamworth captain-coach has had a noticeable impact since signing with the club ahead of their second round clash with Armidale.
"Scotty's been good coming across, he's just straightened everything up for us," York said.
York played with him last season at the Bears, and has enjoyed linking up with him again and Richard Clegg, the latter coming across with the York when the Group 4 season was cancelled.
It is a path the 33-year old has trodden before, although the situation this time has been a bit harder with so many different styles to blend together.
"You've got the Fijian style in there and the league style, and the culture from the Magpies," he said.
"But it's been fun."
And he has been seeing plenty of ball with the Magpies playing an expansive and enterprising game.
"With league it is a lot more structured, the rugby is a bit more free-flowing," York said.
"You just wait for your moments."
Just a point off the Knights and Rams, York spoke about the growing confidence among the group.
"From the first training run as a team four or five weeks ago to what we are now, confidence is the thing that has gone through the roof," he said.
"Every week people tell us we are getting better."
He said the feeling coming out of the loss to the Rams, as disappointing as that was, was pretty positive.
It was their first real big test and showed them they aren't far off the mark.
Saturday will be another chance to see where they are at,
York doesn't really know anything about the Knights but is looking forward to the challenge.
"It's exactly what we want. Having the two games like that will let us know where we at," he said.
"If we did win, it sets us up for a good run home."
It would almost certainly lock in a semi-final spot and put them in a strong position to push for the top two.
