It was a memorable first season in a Moree jersey for Ian Ranger.
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Not only did he pick up a premiers medal, with the Bulls defeating Pirates 28-17 to clinch their first top-grade title since 2013, but he also scored a grand final try - the match-winning one at that - and was to top it all off named the best performer of the grand final.
His first-ever first grade premiership - he won a second grade New England one with Armidale in 2015 - Ranger spoke post-match of feeling "just ecstatic".
"We've worked really hard and so we were pretty disappointed to miss out on getting that major semi spot (Gunnedah pipped them by a bonus point) to get the grand final at home," he said.
"But this makes it all worth it.
"To get two grades, away, was a massive achievement."
The Bulls painted Ken Chillingworth Oval black and white, winning the first and second grade premierships.
Hailing from Gravesend, Ranger linked up with the Bulls this season after returning home this year to give his dad "a bit of a hand" on the family farm.
Prior to that he was a familiar figure for the Blues, playing for them from 2014 to last season.
Originally moving over there for uni, or moving back to be more precise, having gone to The Armidale School for high school, he stayed around post-uni, "chasing sheep and cattle" on "a few farms and different places".
He said there wasn't really anything specific that prompted the move back; it just felt like it was time.
Situated about half an hour out of Moree, he helps out on the farm in his "spare time".
Full time he works in town for local stock and station agents, Pitman Deakin, running the shop and the merchandise side of things.
Similar to half-back Nick Smith, it was only when he went away to school that the 28-year-old got into rugby, but he hasn't looked back.
He loved his time with the Blues, as he has this season with the Bulls.
"They're a really good group of boys," he said, adding with a laugh that he "played against half of them at Albies and Robb".
On Saturday wearing the No.6 jersey, Ranger is also competent in the front row.
In fact he started his first couple of games for the Bulls there, before shifting to the back row against Walcha in Round 5 and pretty much remaining there for the rest of the season - with the odd stint up front.
He deflected the plaudits for his player of the grand final accolades onto his team-mates.
"The boys all just work really hard and you've got to get in and do your job with these guys and it sort of all happens around you," he said.
Same with the try, which put the Bulls ahead 25-17 with just over 10 minutes to play.
"The boys toiled away really hard," Ranger said.
"We had a heap of pick and drives.
"Then we went out to one edge and secured it back through the middle and then we just found a hole and [Alex] Barker had a little dance and put a flick pass on for me and I just rolled my way over.
"I only just dotted it down but we got there."
Incidentally he also scored a try in that 2015 grand final.
