TACKLING the end of the 2014 Group 10 season with philosophical bliss, Orange CYMS centre Tim Bassmann says the green and golds are just six wins away from defending its 2013 premiership victory.
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The problem being, CYMS are also on the brink of an inglorious exit.
The premier Group 10 club over the last four years, CYMS have been a picture of consistency throughout that stretch of success, earning appearances in four consecutive grand finals while winning three titles.
But 2014 has been a different story.
Having lost five of their last seven games, Mick Sullivan’s men currently occupy fifth on the premier league ladder, just four points ahead of the sixth-placed Bathurst Panthers.
And while Panthers, with just three rounds remaining, are unlikely to snatch a finals berth off CYMS, winning the competition from what will almost certainly be a fifth-place finish is an all-but impossible task.
Ever the optimists, however, CYMS are banking on turning a potentially season-ending three-week period leading into the finals into a springboard for a full-blown assault on this year’s post-season action.
“Sully said to the boys at training, we’re only six wins away from winning the comp, if you want to look at it that way,” Bassmann said, his side set to tackle Cowra (away) before games against Mudgee (home) and St Pat’s (away).
All three sides are ahead of CYMS on the ladder.
“Sully has made a few changes this week to put a few of the boys on notice,” Bassmann continued.
“Cowra’s going to be tough and they’re one of the best teams in the competition with the ball in hand, but if we want to make an impact these are the games we have to start winning.
“Another loss and the boys’ confidence will be down, it’s already pretty low at the moment.
“Another loss and we’re probably in trouble.”
The Western Division fullback said “continuity” had been CYMS biggest challenge, with fullback Dan Stuart and prop Brent Colley the most recent absentees in the green and golds’ latest loss to Workies in Lithgow.
“We’ve had a different side on the park every week, and it hasn’t just been a couple of positions. It’s in key positions,” he added.