Rocketing the club to a place among Group 10’s teams to watch this season, the Bears pulled off the biggest coup in their three-year return to premier league by signing experienced duo Bubba Kennedy and Steve Lane, both playing in Blayney’s 44-22 victory at Carrington Park last Sunday.

Adding experience, class and plenty of points to the young Bears backline in 2015, the prized snaring of Lane and Kennedy is sure to turn a regularly raucous King George Oval crowd into a caldron in 2015, starting when the Bears finally return home for Sunday’s clash with the Orange Hawks.

Co-coach Dane Howarth was thrilled to have the pair on board, Lane and Kennedy last playing together with Panthers in 2012 after a decade carving up the Group 10 competition with Mudgee, Hawks and Panthers in a previous stint.

Tellingly, they won premierships with all three.

“They’re just a classy outfit,” Howarth said, Kennedy a Panther last year while Lane played in Oberon in 2014.

“Bubba and Laney came out and started training last week and they’ve slipped straight into our left edge. It’s really helped us out after losing Lewis Stanley.

“Their combination, even at training, is just good to watch.”

The duo’s signatures, coupled with the recruitment of former Cowra forward Will Ingram and the current players in Terawhiti Cooper, Terry Brown, Kurt Beahan and the Nixon brothers - Josh, Michael and Jesse - has given the Bears a roster worthy of at least a place in the finals this season.

Confidence will be the key, and given Blayney’s start to 2015 it’s no surprise to hear Howarth say team morale is as high as ever.

“I wouldn’t say we’re confident, but the morale around the team and the club is certainly better now that it has been over previous years,” he said.

“There’s a long way to go ... there’s a lot of good teams in the competition this year and if we want to be one of them we can’t afford to be giving away penalties on the fourth tackle like we did last week. 

“Our discipline has to be better.”

Fully aware a round one win means little if it’s not backed up by a strong showing the next week, Howarth said the Bears would be wary of a Hawks team coming off a 33-point derby loss to CYMS.

“I think they’ll be very keen to bounce back ... they’re a club that always does,” the first year Blayney coach said.

“It’s such a tough competition this year. There’s not going to be any easy games.

“It should be good. It’ll be good to get a good crowd out for our first game at Blayney and show the supporters our new kit. We’re looking forward to it.”