Behind every great team is, usually, a great coach. That's not different in Group 10 where, for the most part, sides are mentored by captain or player-coaches who also rely heavily on quick-witted assistants on game day.
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In 2019, there was a trio of mentors that stood head and shoulders above the rest which is why the Central Western Daily's experts have only nominated three for The People's Choice Group 10 Team Of The Year.
However you can, of course, vote for a mentor outside that group.
- READ MORE: Vote for the best props of 2019
- READ MORE: Vote for the best hooker of 2019
- READ MORE: Vote for the best second-rowers of 2019
- READ MORE: Vote for the best lock of 2019
- READ MORE: Vote for the best halfback of 2019
- READ MORE: Vote for the best five-eighth of 2019
- READ MORE: Vote for the best centres of 2019
- READ MORE: Vote for the best wingers of 2019
- READ MORE: Vote for the best fullback of 2019
1 DOUG HEWITT (Bathurst Panthers)
A player-coach, Hewitt mentored Panthers to a second straight premiership in the first time a team had gone back-to-back since Orange CYMS in 2010 and 2011.
He won Group 10's coach-of-the-year award too, and that's about all you need to know.
2 GRAEME OSBORNE (Lithgow Workies)
We've waxed lyrical about Jono Van Veen's influence on Workies this year and there's no denying it's the players that ultimately do the job on the field, but doing that job isn't possible without a smart mentor pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Remember, Van Veen is only one player, and there was an entire squad that needed to have the best drawn out of them to help spark Workies' resurgence after a winless opening month.
He's a veteran of the coaching game and his nous can best be shown by the signing of Jack Sullivan from rugby union, his move to centre proved a masterstroke too as Lithgow rolled home in the back end of the season to eventually finish as beaten minor semi-finalists.
He coached Group 10 to victory over Group 11 too, despite being so short staffed on the day he had to call Keelan Bresac in because he happened to be there to watch his partner play in the league tag fixture.
3 JACK LITTLEJOHN (Mudgee Dragons)
Another player-coach, Littlejohn's arrival proved the catalyst for the Dragons once again transforming into a Group 10 premier league heavyweight.
After the club signed Littlejohn his profile and reputation lured a number of premiership players back to the club and he instilled a professionalism, discipline and culture within the group that looked likely to lead them to a grand final early in the season.
It did in the end, but not before injury struck in a big way, and Littlejohn was forced to lead Mudgee out of that mid-season slump too.
More than anything the Dragons went from seventh in 2018 to being within a kick of a premiership, that's impressive by anyone's standards.