THREE-PEATERS: Orange CYMS (from left) Des Knight, Tim Bassmann, Scott Piper, Mick Sullivan, Ben Gosper, Josh Nixon and Terawhiti Cooper are all gunning for their third-straight Group 10 premier league crown. CYMS are looking to become the first side in 41 years to achieve the feat. Photo: NICK McGRATH
MEET the seven Orange CYMS players aiming to become the first crop of Group 10 stars in 41 years to achieve a hat-trick of premier league crowns - the three-peaters.
Potentially.
Not since the Oberon Tigers in 1969-70-71 has a premier league side won back-to-back-to-back titles.
Plenty have come close - Bathurst Railway in 1980-81, Lithgow Shamrocks in 1984-85, CYMS in 1987-88 and most recently Bathurst Panthers in 2006-07 - but only the elite have come away with the goods.
Now Des Knight, Tim Bassmann, Scott Piper, Josh Nixon, Terawhiti Cooper, skipper Ben Gosper and coach Mick Sullivan are just one win away from joining the upper echelon of players to pull on the boots in Group 10.
“Words can’t describe what it would mean to win,” club-captain Des Knight said.
“It would be surreal, really.”
From not fielding a top grade side in 2004 to now being 80 minutes away from becoming one of the most decorated clubs in bush footy, it’s not a bad turn around for the green and golds.
However, as good as the success has been, not even Sullivan believed it would be so instant in his tenure at the club.
“I didn’t look that far ahead,” Sullivan said.
“I was always confident the club had the talent as well as the committee capable of being successful in Group 10.
“I came out a couple of weekends and watched the team play before I signed on and saw guys like Ben Gosper and Josh Nixon, hard workers out there doing well. We only had to improve a few positions and that’s where TC (Cooper) came in.
“But I never dreamed we’d be going for three in a row.”
CYMS president Ray Agland said after being on its knees nearly a decade ago, to see the club now flourishing was extremely satisfying.
“We knew getting someone the calibre of Mick was always going to help,” Agland said.
“We knew he was a good player but we didn’t know how good a coach he’d become.”
Agland said the key, along with Sullivan’s signature at the end of 2009, was going back to basics.
“It always comes back to the young players we had coming through. You look at all the sides that have won the comp and there’s eight or nine CYMS juniors in each of them,” Agland said.
Now they’re just a win away from becoming one of the greats.
Potentially.
