Peter McDonald Premiership 2025 finals preview | August 2025 | Daily Liberal - video Dailymotion

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A look at the 2025 PMP finals with Western reporters Nick Guthrie and Dominic Unwin, plus a word from Dubbo CYMS after its successful regular season.

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00:00Ahead of the PNP Finals starting, we're just going to have a quick look at some of the players we think are the ones to watch.

00:05For first grade, it's really hard to go past Orange Hawks recruit Tom Toohey.

00:09He's been incredible since arriving in Orange, and even though he started in the centres and he was good there,

00:14since Shane Rodney moved him to 5'8", he's been nigh unplayable.

00:18A definite X factor for Hawks.

00:20If he gets his hand on the ball, Hawks are a genuine chance of beating anyone.

00:24So he's definitely one to keep an eye out. Really strong runner, really fast, just, yeah, genuine X factor.

00:30I'm going to single out Jack Smith from the Forbes Magpies.

00:33Second season back out west with Forbes, and he's really gone to another level this year.

00:38Made that number one jersey zone early in the year and has been, yeah, pretty unstoppable.

00:4321 tries in the competition, it's been the best of anyone in the PNP.

00:47Second best was 15, so that shows you how far ahead he's been in terms of his try scoring ability.

00:52Electric and attack suits that classic saying, like he's got spiders on him because he's slipping out of tackles,

00:59breaking through those would-be defenders and finds space for fun.

01:04So really electric attacker who can pop up out of nowhere and in finals times,

01:09when it's probably going to be some pressure situation, he's the kind of player that can produce something out of nothing

01:13and make the difference for a Forbes team that's already loaded with so much quality.

01:17Yeah, it's a good achievement for the club and, yeah, a reward for our consistency.

01:24Yeah, it's pleasing.

01:25I guess the main thing for the club is it gives us two chances to sort of reach that grand final qualifier.

01:34So, you know, obviously everyone's playing to win the grand final,

01:40but, yeah, it's a good achievement for the club and, yeah, a reward for our consistency.

01:47Yeah, and I guess the reward is that two chances to get in the grand final qualifier.

01:53Obviously the grand final wins is where we mark ourselves as success

01:59and we've had quite a few of them over the last, you know, I guess, 25 years especially.

02:07So, you know, the club, you know, has worked very hard, you know, to get that success

02:15and, yeah, certainly something they're proud of the previous premierships, that's for sure.

02:19Now comes the really hard and also the quite fun bit of some bold predictions

02:23of who we think is going to win the four premierships this season.

02:27So for league tag, this is a really tough one.

02:30There are so many good teams in league tag this year and it's a really open comp,

02:34whereas in the past it's probably been a one or two horse race.

02:37This year I think it's genuinely anyone's game.

02:40For me, it's really hard to go past some pats.

02:42Obviously such a dominant streak up until last year

02:45and I think losing that grand final to Macquarie will have really motivated them

02:50to go one step further this year.

02:52They've got a really solid side and if they just play the percentages,

02:55they're a really hard team to beat.

02:57In the under-18s, it's almost impossible to go past Dubbo Sims.

03:01They've probably had one of the best defensive record of almost any team in the bush this year

03:06and maybe in any rugby league comp.

03:0838 points scored against them in 15 rounds is stunning, really.

03:12They've just been like a well-oiled machine.

03:14They've undefeated up to this point.

03:16They went the first five rounds of the season without conceding a point,

03:19which shows their quality.

03:20They had some challenges this year from defending premiers Hawks,

03:24local rivals Macquarie really lifted in the derby,

03:27but Sims have come through each time.

03:29They're a really talented and close-knit side,

03:31so it's really hard to go against runs on the board

03:36and there's not many in terms of their defence,

03:38so Sims to go all the way and lift the trophy this year.

03:42In the reserve grade, this one is another tight competition,

03:46much like all grades are,

03:47which is great for us footy fans come grand final time.

03:51It's looking like it could potentially be a Dubbo Derby,

03:54which would be a huge day, especially if it's here at Apex Oval.

03:58Dubbo Sims and Macquarie finished 1-2.

04:02There was not a great deal between them on the two times

04:04that they played each other this year.

04:07Dubbo Sims did come out on top each time,

04:09so you'd probably have to put them as favourites over the Raiders,

04:11but there's just something about the Raiders this year.

04:14They've got that mix of some really old heads who are leading the way.

04:16They've got some exciting young talent,

04:18so sitting on the fence a little bit,

04:21but you'd have to put Dubbo Sims' favourite to go back-to-back

04:23after doing it last year.

04:24They know what it takes.

04:25They're a well-run club, well-run team.

04:27They've got the players who've been there and done it,

04:29but look, don't be surprised if the Raiders are there on grand final day

04:32and manage to spoil the party.

04:34First grade is just such an open comp this year.

04:37Like, anyone could win genuinely,

04:39and it's such a hard thing to predict.

04:42Probably going to go a bit boring here and say Forbes just.

04:44That being said, something like a Forbes and Dubbo Sims grand final,

04:49especially if it's at Apex Oval,

04:51generally a flip of a coin.

04:52It's really, really hard to pick.

04:55I think Forbes are clearly building towards something.

04:58They've clearly had a project this year.

05:00They've gone away in the off-season,

05:01recruited really, really well,

05:03and a grand final win for them will be the culmination.

05:06That will be the measure of success,

05:08and I think that they've been building very, very well towards that.

05:14I think that they've been building very, very well towards that.

05:17I think that they've been building very, very well towards that.

05:19I think that they've been building very well towards that.

05:21I think that they've been building very well towards that.

05:23I think that they've been building very well towards that.

05:25I think that they've been building very well towards that.

05:27I think that they've been building very well towards that.

05:29I think that they've been building very well towards that.

05:31I think that they've been building very well towards that.

05:33I think that they've been building very well towards that.

05:35I think that they've been building very well towards that.

Peter McDonald Premiership 2025 finals preview | August 2025 | Daily Liberal

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