FULLBACK FORCE: Orange CYMS fullback Tim Bassmann has scored 21 tries in 17 games for the defending premiers throughout 2012. Photo: NICK McGRATH 0831nmbasso4
IN a club sparkling with decorated backs, some of them former NSW Country stars and one-time NRL pin-up boys while others are representative quality of the future, Orange CYMS fullback Tim Bassmann is the quite achiever.
If you can call 21 tries in 17 games quietly going about your business.
“It’s been a pretty good year for me personally,” the unassuming custodian said.
“It’s made it a lot easier having good forwards and having good structure as well. I just basically push up with everybody else and get the rewards at the end of the day.”
The CYMS junior has formed a deadly combination with hooker Sam Hill and ball playing forwards Terawhiti Cooper and Brett Sargent, with any space created often finished off in spectacular fashion by Bassmann.
He is one of the quickest fullbacks in Group 10, netting three hat-tricks and two braces in an impressive 2012 try tally.
Speed is no doubt the 23-year-old’s biggest asset.
One the former Group 10 and Western Rams representative will look to call on tomorrow when CYMS travel to Lithgow to tackle Workies in Group 10’s premier league major semi-final.
It’s the biggest game of the year, for Bassmann and for CYMS as well.
“We’re ready,” he said with the winner of tomorrow’s match set to host this year’s grand final.
“We just know it’s Lithgow. We know they’re going to give their all and I think we grow an extra leg when we play them.”
CYMS have the wood over tomorrow’s opposition this season, beating Workies 12-6 and 24-20 at Wade Park before Lithgow came-from-behind to score a 20-all draw with the defending premiers in their latest meeting.
The dynamic No.1 believes last weekend’s 64-22 thrashing of Bathurst St Pat’s without the star halves pairing of Mick Sullivan and Warick Colley will have CYMS in good stead come kick-off tomorrow afternoon.
“There’s heaps of confidence within the club at the moment,” he said.
“Everyone was laughing and having a good time at training (on Thursday night) but once it comes time to switch on the boys click. As I said, it was a pearler of a night at training.”
And if the two-time defending premiers can convert their pearler of an effort on the training paddock into a dominant major semi-final win, they’ll enter another grand final in Orange as the favourites to a famous three-peat.
“Now we’ve sorted of taken it on our backs,” Bassmann said ahead of his side’s bid to become the first team since Oberon in 1971 to win three Group 10 premier league titles in a row.
“You don’t really get a chance to do something like this every often at all and while the opportunity’s there we’d be mad not to grab it with both hands.”