Canberra Royals players used words of inspiration from the family of Allan Scollen to help ignite their John I Dent Cup bid as they roared into premiership favourites on Saturday.
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A Royals first-half rampage cemented the Phillip-based club's title credential, thumping the Tuggeranong Vikings 49-14 to rise to the top of the ladder.
It was a day of massive scores after the Queanbeyan Whites destroyed Easts 104-10 in the first century of Canberra's premier division.
But all eyes were on the Royals-Vikings battle as the only two teams to win premierships since 2011 went toe to toe in an early-season benchmark game.
Royals coaching staff invited the family of Scollen to speak to the players before kick-off for the game named in Allan Scollen's honour.
Former Royals player Scollen died in a motor vehicle accident 15 years ago.
"It was a pretty big day with the 'Wal' Scollen Cup, all the boys got behind it and it means so much to the boys," said Royals lock Tom Staniforth.
"His family spoke to us before the game and it sunk in how much rugby meant to him. That hit home before the game and it showed on the field."
The last-minute motivation worked perfectly as Royals blew the Vikings off the park in the first 40 minutes.
Royals scored 39 points in the first half to leave the defending premiers stunned and searching for answers of how to stop the breathtaking attacking onslaught.
The Vikings have won six of the last eight grand finals and their only blip on the radar since 2011 was a loss to Royals two years ago.
But the title race is now wide open and Royals will be the front-runners for the second half of the season having scored 300 points in five games and conceded just 48.
Royals coach Wayne Southwell said the most impressive aspect of the win was not the 46-point haul, but his side's defiant defensive effort to protect its line when one player was in the sin bin.
"We probably learnt more out of the 40 minutes we defended than the points we scored," Southwell said.
"To be tested that way in defence shows a great performance, it was a lot of heart. This is a tight-knit squad and this is a far better position than I thought we would be in.
"Our goal is a top-two finish so that's what we've still got our eyes set on."
Tuggeranong were missing a host of key players but had plenty of opportunities after half-time to get themselves back into the contest.
But they broke the Royals' defensive line just twice in 80 minutes and Royals never really looked troubled.
Royals skipper Ben Johnson scored a double while Brumbies flanker Tom Cusack was outstanding before he copped a head knock and had to leave the field.
"We knew Royals had been blowing teams off the park early, so we prepared for it. But it just didn't happen for us on the day," said Tuggeranong coach Tim Sampson.
"There are a lot of teams that have a lot of improvement in them ... it's going to be a tight competition."
AT A GLANCE
John I Dent Cup: ROYALS 46 (B Johnson 2, J Bodman, S Going, T Cusack, B Woodward tries; P Rolando 2 penalties; P Rolando 4, H Tyson conversions) bt TUGGERANONG VIKINGS 14 (J Knight, J Langry tries; F Dorrough 2 conversions); GUNGAHLIN EAGLES 33 bt UNI-NORTHS OWLS 25; QUEANBEYAN WHITES 104 bt EASTS 10.
