THREE months ago there were Bathurst Panthers supporters calling for the head of president Dave Hotham in the wake of a player exodus, but now as season 2023 is about to kick off those voices are silent.
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Now Hotham is no longer assuring players, coaches and committee members to keep the faith.
Instead he's looking forward to the season with new-look sides he thinks have plenty of promise.
It has been a dramatic turn of fortunes as Panthers went from fears of not being able to field teams to now having playing rosters packed with talent.
But it's a reversal that when things appeared dire, Hotham predicted.
He assured people like committee member and first grade manager Danny Dwyer plus reserve grade co-coach Michael Wicks that things would get better.
"I've had people ringing me and say that I was wrecking the club and I should step aside, but I can tell you that at the moment the club hasn't been in a better state," Hotham said.
"I see the enthusiasm at the club now and I think it's the greatest thing ever. Like I love these young blokes coming through.
"Danny rang me because he was a bit worried and I actually said to him that it would turn, it always does turn and we're hitting the panic button way too early.
"Like Danny, Mick was a bit concerned there and thought we wouldn't have a reserve grade side, but I told him that 'Round one you'll have so many players there you won't know what to do with them'.
"He said to me 'I wish I had your enthusiasm' but I told him I'd been around rugby league long enough to know it will happen. I've been around rugby league now for 40 odd years now."
The concern that Dwyer, Wicks and others had about Panthers was not without cause. The list of pre-season departures was lengthy.
Halves Willie Wright and Noah Griffiths made the switch to St Pat's, while star representative centre Keelan Bresac returned to Lithgow and try scoring machine Desi Doolan reunited with Cowra.
Under 18s graduates Tom Lemmich (South Sydney), Bailey Large (Blayney) and Jackson Carter (Blayney) joined the list of departures, while promising young forward Tallis Tobin was diagnosed with cancer.
On top of that a number of Panthers who were part of the 2022 Group 10 reserve grade premiership winning side - and often deployed from the bench in first grade - switched clubs too.
Second rower Aidan Ryan joined the Windsor Wolves, while five-eighth Dylan Miles, hooker Thomas Large and forwards Kevin and Lachie Large switched to Lithgow.
"I went down to training and we had 12 players there for first and reserve grade and I told those 12 players that day 'We'll stick by you'," Hotham said.
"We're not a club that's about pushing players to stay with us if they don't want to stay.
"We don't push players away either, if they want to go then that's their call. We don't hold a grudge either, if people want to come back they can come back."
Having former players return to the club - something which had been part of Hotham's plan - was a major factor in seeing confidence restored.
Two-time Group 10 premiership winning player-coach Doug Hewitt decided to return after sitting out in 2022. He'll line up at halfback.
Though other commitments means he will miss games, Hewitt's playing making skills are still a huge boost to Panthers.
The other void in the halves was filled by Nick Tilburg, a five-eighth who spent the 2022 season with the Wentworthville Magpies in the Ron Massey Cup.
Tilburg had previously played one season of under 18s with Panthers and was happy to sign up for the Peter McDonald Premiership season when current player-coach Jake Betts reached out.
Former Panthers juniors Mick Latu, Zac Hunt and Andrew Bennett also returned after lining up in the Woodbridge Cup for CSU Mungoes in 2023.
On top of that winger Tye Siakisoni and utility forward Jackson Vallis made the switch from St Pat's.
"From last year we've lost eight [first grade] players and you lose that out of any club and I think they'd be struggling, but we aren't," Hotham said.
"I think you take the two halves out of any team and they are going to struggle, but we're not, we've got blokes back who have been around our club before and had been part of our junior system at the club."
While Hotham is proud to see former juniors back and things in Pantherland looking promising ahead of the new season - the first grade side won the pre-season knockout - he knows there are challenges which lie ahead.
The first comes this Saturday when Panthers travel to Dubbo to take on CYMS.
Dubbo CYMS made the Peter McDonald Premiership grand final last year while its league tag and reserve grade sides won Group 11 titles in 2022.
"We've got to play Dubbo CYMS at Dubbo and that's going to be a very good test first up, but I'm confident we'll take a good team over there and each week they're going to grow from that experience," Hotham said.
"I don't believe grand finals are won this early in the year, this is a young team, but the longer they are there with Dougie Hewitt and Nick Tilburg around them, they'll grow.
"There's a lot of depth there now, there's depth there now in reserve grade."
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