DUBBO College Astley Cup co-ordinator Kieran Smith is hopeful a renewed 'whole college' approach can help the school return to the top in the annual competition against Orange High School and Bathurst High School.
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In recent years students from years 11 and 12 only were able to compete, but with the inclusion of year 10 this year Dubbo will head to Orange for their first tie with renewed enthusiasm.
"For the first time in a few years the whole college is keen for the Astley Cup, and I think that is because the year 10 kids are involved and it's not just the senior campus," Smith said.
"That has brought a real sense of college community back to the competition for us, and hopefully that can help us be a lot more competitive than we have been over the past couple of years especially."
After Bathurst shocked reigning cup-holders Orange last week, Dubbo will head to Orange on Thursday and Friday knowing that not only will a win put them within reach of the cup, it will also eliminate any chance the students from the colour city have of hoisting the prestigious trophy.
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Victory would also set up a blockbuster final tie against Bathurst High in Dubbo on June 24-25, but regardless of this week's result the cup winner will be determined when Bathurst makes the trip up the Mitchell Highway.
"I wasn't shocked hugely by Bathurst winning last week because home advantage is pretty big in Astley Cup," Smith said.
"But there were probably a couple of results that went the way I wasn't expecting.
"I probably would have had Bathurst winning the rugby league, and they didn't, and the basketball surprised me as well because I would have given that to Orange.
"The cup will be decided by the third leg in Dubbo next week regardless of how things pan out this week but we want to win both ties and not have to rely on points. That's the easiest way to do it."
Friday morning's rugby league match will be the first time the two schools have come together since last year's ugly brawl at Apex Oval, which saw their match abandoned early and saw multiple players suspended.
Smith said as a result of that incident changes have been made which could be of great benefit to the competition.
"Rugby league has always been the marquee event of Astley Cup, and it has traditionally been the last sport and there was a lot riding on it," he said.
"What happened last year is something we don't want to see happen again so in all of the ties the league has been moved to an earlier slot in the schedule, and in fact when we play Bathurst it will be the first sport played on day one.
"Hopefully that will take some of the heat out of the games. We still want the boys to play hard and go out there to do their best but we also want the cup to be an enjoyable event without any of the rubbish that went on last year.
"Boys soccer will be the last event against Orange this week and when we host Bathurst it will be basketball, so it actually give the kids playing those sports a chance to be the showcase final event of the competition."
