One of the biggest improvements in Blake Clout's game in the last 18 months isn't necessarily immediately obvious.
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But it's helped transform him into one of the best players in the bush.
The Tamworth captain will head down to Newcastle this weekend to push for a NSW Country jersey later in the year.
It's the second straight year the 28-year-old has been selected in the Cockatoos train-on squad, and comes after he impressed leading New England at last month's Country Championships in Tamworth.
Not something the centre really saw for himself before last year, Clout replied "definitely" when asked if making the squad had put that bit of hunger in him to take that next step.
"Sort of last year I didn't really expect it," he said.
"And then when I got the phone call I was just excited, and it made me push a lot harder.
"Which it does going to that next level and really trying to stand out."
He would unfortunately go on to miss out on the final squad to contest the Australian Rugby Shield.
And it showed him that maybe he is better at this rugby caper than he'd perhaps given himself credit for.
One of the things the coaches told him they wanted him to work on was his defence.
"Obviously you've got bigger bodies coming at you," Clout said.
"So just getting the technique right and just getting in and working hard, and taking on the bigger bodies, which comes with that next step."
He feels like he has improved that.
What though has really elevated his game to the next level is his improved fitness.
It's something the Magpies talisman has worked concertedly on, doing extra work on top of his regular training.
"I've been going to RevFit. Doing a bit of movement stuff there with weights.
"So that sort of active fitness thing," he said.
It has enabled him to still be running as hard, and be as effective, at the 80th minute as the first.
"Probably at the start of last year I was lucky to do the 60, I was pretty gassed," Clout said.
"So it's good to be able to stick it out to the 80."
He showed that in the Magpies recent clash against Baa Baas, with some barnstorming runs late to help them get over the line.
Clout will be joined in his Country quest by Magpies club-mate Paige Leonard, Quirindi's Hamish Dunbar, Gunnedah's Tim McDermott and Piper Rankmore, Narrabri's Cassidy Morley and St Albert's Tahlia (Tink) Morgan.
