Since he swapped the black, red and white of Barbarians for the Walcha red and the white, Dom Bower has become a key cog in the machine of what has often been heralded as the best backline in the Central North competition.
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Steady and unassuming, the fullback-come winger-come five-eighth doesn't always get the attention of some of his cohorts, but is an equally ever-present threat, his speed and wizard-like ability to get through the smallest of holes causing plenty of headaches for opposition defences.
Now in his fifth season with the Rams, this is Bower's second incarnation with the club. He played a bit of junior footy with them with Uralla not having juniors.
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"It was sort of always that I was going to come down here. I told them from the start that I'd come down at some point," he said.
"But I had a bit of fun up in Armidale while my brother (Tom) was there."
After moving back from Sydney to work on the family's merino stud, he played two seasons with Baa Baas.
Part of Farrer's 2008 University Shield-winning side, he had headed to the 'big smoke' after school to pursue footy opportunities, and spent six years down there plying his trade with Randwick and later Southern Districts.
It was a great experience, he said, and he learnt a lot, but he was never staying down there.
"I was always coming home to the farm," he said.
After last year finally getting to celebrate a grand final triumph after three years of heart-break, Bower conceded he wasn't always coming back this season.
"It was a questionable one," he said.
"(But) I did a bit of pre-season training and sucked myself back in."
Admittedly missing in a bit, and wanting to get fit, he thought he'd just have a bit of a run at training. As these things invariably do, one thing led to another...
On Saturday he was a driving force as the Rams turned their fortunes around after back-to-back losses, finishing with a 26-point haul, including a try-double, as they accounted for Scone 44-12.
Rams coach Barry Hoy said it was good to get back into some winning form, although it "probably wasn't the best performance".
Their ball security wasn't great at times and their lineout didn't function as well as it had been. But amongst that they "put some good phases together".
"I was generally pretty happy," Hoy said.
As he readily admits though they have still got "a bit of work to do".
Currently fifth and a point outside the four, the next few weeks shapes as "make or break" for the Rams as far as their finals prospects.
After competition leaders Narrabri this Saturday, they then have Moree (sixth) and Gunnedah (second).
"It's a pretty crucial three weeks for us," Hoy acknowledged.
He'll be hoping they can repeat their first round run. From the Brumbies onwards, they didn't drop a game.
"Obviously Narrabri and Gunnedah will be a different proposition on their own home turf, will be a bit tougher that way.
"But I'm reasonably confident we can put it together," he said.
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