AFTER losing the 2013 Group 10 women’s league tag grand final, Orange CYMS’ road to redemption started at last Saturday’s Western Challenge League Tag carnival.
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Four games, and four wins later, CYMS lifted the Western Challenge Cup, sending a message to the rest of the Group 10 competition - the green and golds want to go one better in 2014.
With much the same side from last year’s grand final, CYMS dominated the cup, winning all four games convincingly, and not conceding a point until the grand final.
CYMS demolished Grenfell 28-nil in the competition’s opening game, before piling 24 unanswered points on hosts Canowindra in the quarter-final.
CYMS faced Orange Hawks in a local derby semi-final, predicted to be a close affair.
It wasn’t.
CYMS secured a 28-nil victory, and with it a spot in the grand final against Dubbo Westside.
CYMS’ playmaker Tori Moore said CYMS entered the final wary of their opponents.
But class hone through and despite a tough game, CYMS completed a clinical 18-6 victory.
Emma Regan, Mandy Moore and Nikki Daquino all crossed the white line in the final, with Daquino kicking all three goals.
Tori Moore said she is hoping the win will give her team confidence to hit the ground running in the season proper.
“It was a good run to have before the season starts next weekend,” she said.
“Half the team hadn’t played before and they really stepped up, we also still have a couple of key players to come back which will help us. Overall it was just a very successful day, our defence was awesome, we only conceded one try the whole day.”
Daquino was also named player of the tournament, having crossed the stripe four times throughout, and kicked 14 of 17 goals.
“She played out of her skin,” Moore said.
“She really deserved that award, but other than Nicki I can’t single anyone out, everyone played their role.”