AIMING HIGHER: Orange CYMS first division side, which will play Mudgee in Lithgow tomorrow for the premiership.
ALL winter, Orange CYMS’ first division outfit have been focused on one thing - going one better than 2011.
Tomorrow at Tony Luchetti Sportsground, Brad Prevett’s men will get that chance.
CYMS tackle 2012 first division minor premiers Mudgee in this year’s decider, with CYMS having qualified for the grand final the hard way after finishing fifth at the completion of the regular season.
But in making it all the way to the final game of 2012, CYMS, the 2011 runners up have knocked off Blackheath, a tough Oberon outfit and then defending premiers Bathurst Panthers in a run of wins that’ll give the side plenty of confidence.
And it’s confidence this group of green and golds has thrived on.
“That’s been our goal this year, to go one better than last year,” Prevett said looking back at his side’s 26-18 loss in last year’s decider.
“I’ve spoken to the boys about it and it doesn’t matter where you’ve come from to make the grand final, we’ve made it and it’ll come down to who wants it more on Sunday.
“Our confidence is up. I was always confident if we got the right group we’d be able to make it.
“We’ve got the opportunity now we’ve just got to take it.”
Sunday’s game will be Prevett’s fourth grand final with CYMS.
His last win, however, was way back in 1991, when Prevett helped lead the club’s under 18s to triumph - from fifth - 21 years ago.
In between, the tough hooker has tasted defeat in premier league against Mudgee in 2002 and then again last year when CYMS lost the first division title to Panthers at Endeavour Oval.
“It would mean everything,” Prevett said if he could achieve another grand final win with CYMS.
“I can’t say I’m going to retire, but I turned 38 a few weeks ago and I’ve probably had my time in the sun so to speak. It’d be great to be able to finish on my own terms though. It would just cap it all off. ”
Prevett said with halves Blake Baxter, Luke Coleman and centre Claude Gordon firing for the side, CYMS were capable of scoring plenty of points.
It would come down to how his side stacks up in the middle.
First division kicks off at 12.30pm at Lithgow tomorrow.
ORANGE CYMS: 1 Wayne Collett, 2 Tim Smith, 3 Claude Gordon, 4 Josh Annis-Brown, 5 Craig Piper, 6 Luke Coleman, 7 Blake Baxter, 8 Bryce Jones, 9 Brad Prevett (c-c), 10 Des Knight, 11 Nick Law, 12 Adam Gibson, 13 Matt Penny; Bench: Nathan Warner, 15 Josh Goolock, 16 Anton Logan, 17 Joel Rolton, 18 Bevan Parker, 19 Pat Gibson, 20 Dan Teitzel, 21 Cameron Jones, 22 Jed Beasley.
MUDGEE DRAGONS: 1 Ben Thompson, 2 Nat White, 3 Jake Griffiths, 4 Tim Ward, 5 Chris Hanson, 6 Kurt Thompson, 7 Brad James, 8 Nathan O’Brien, 9 Justin Gossage, 10 Peter McDonnell, 11 Joash Savage, 12 Jayden Perring, 13 Glenn Kurtz (c); Bench: 14 Andy Laurie, 15 Ray Thorn, 16 Dave Jessiman, 17 Brendan George, 18 Aaron Weatherley (c), 19 Josh Cookson, 20 Josh Marchant, 21 Hartley Sutton.