Group 4: Mitch Sheridan discusses his 100th game and lessons on leadership

The halfback began with the club's under 18s side fresh out high school, before graduating into the first grade ranks, where he has since been a part of several of the Bears' consecutive premiership sides.

But last weekend produced, by his own reckoning, one of Sheridan's most memorable moments in the red and black - when he scored North Tamworth's first try against the Dungowan Cowboys in his 100^th club game.

"It was awesome, one of the best feelings I've had on the field," Sheridan said.

"Just getting everyone around me too, straight after that try. It was a good start, too, which we haven't been doing this year. It started us off on the right foot."

It is typical that, in reflecting on a moment of personal triumph, Sheridan turns the focus from himself to the team, as that effectively encapsulates his on-field attitude.

Bears coach Paul Boyce relishes the unselfishness and lead-from-the-front mentality Sheridan brings, and did not mince words in summarising the young man's worth to the side.

"He's an absolute clubman," Boyce said.

"I can't speak highly enough of Sherro. It was his 100^th club game, and he started the game off really well ... he's what this club's built on: guys that work really hard and are all about the club.

"We're proud of Sherro, and he's a very important part of our club and a future leader of the club."

There is no mystery as to why Sheridan, alongside Ben Jarvis, was chosen to make his captaincy debut when Scott Blanch was unavailable in round four.

The man from Coolah understood the weight of responsibility that comes with leadership, and said years of watching and playing under senior figures like Blanch and Josh Schmiedel has "steered me in the right direction".

Luckily, Sheridan believes he has thrived the more the club has looked to him for leadership.

"I feel like I've been playing pretty good footy with that extra pressure," he said.

"That role of being the halfback of the team, you've got to make the right decisions and I'm finding that I want to take the challenge on more."

Assessing the problem, finding the solution, and putting it into action: the fundamentals of Sheridan's role for the Bears sound similar to his upbringing on a Coolah farm, where he said he "got my hands in everything".

"The old boy was pretty good for that, putting us to work, and fixing all the mechanical stuff was the thing I enjoyed the most," he said.

It certainly explains his post-school transition into a career as a diesel mechanic. And now, Sheridan wants to use that knack for finding the fix to help North Tamworth back to their winning ways.

"We've got a lot of new combinations in our side that we've got to work out," he said.

"I don't think we've had the same 13 on the paddock for two games with injuries. It's hard to make combinations work, but we're getting there."

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