Orange CYMS versus Oberon in a Group 10 grand final – it hasn’t happened for 59 years.
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In the last dynasty-like run of title wins the green and golds enjoyed – which was five premierships throughout the 1950s – CYMS knocked over Oberon 17-6 in the 1958 decider.
“Our group is excited we’re playing the Tigers,” CYMS captain-coach Mick Sullivan said, Oberon’s last grand final triumph coming in 1975.
That clash was against Orange Ex-Services, 17-4.
“We know the enormity of it for them,” Sullivan continued.
“Making it for the first time in 40-plus years ... we weren’t far off that a few years back, we know the momentum that can build.”
CYMS’ break-through title win in 2010 came after 22 years without grand final success.
And while titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015 have followed for the green and golds, Sullivan said he’s not about to let Oberon get a sniff of the 2017 crown.
The clever halfback is expecting the Tigers to come out a vastly improved outfit to the one that lost 30-12 to CYMS in the major semi-final.
“Their best team has been on the park three weeks in a row. They’ll be primed to go,” he said.
“They’ll be aware of what we’ll do and they’ll muscle up.
“Some people say you can bust the balloon a week early, but that taste of what it means to the town, they will have built off that momentum.”
Sullivan added he was looking forward to playing this grand final after missing last year with injury, a game CYMS lost 14-10 on the bell to Mudgee.
“I’ve played the most club games I have in the last two years, finally get to a grand final again,” he added.
- ORANGE CYMS: 1 Ben McAlpine, 2 Tom Satterthwaite, 3 Joe Lasagavibau, 4 Lachy Munro, 5 Semisi Katoa, 6 Luke Petrie, 7 Mick Sullivan, 8 Chris Bamford, 9 Ryan Griffin, 10 Cam Jones, 11 Joe Duffy, 12 Brenden Cousins, 13 Rob Mortimer; Bench: 14 Sam Hill, 15 Brock McGarity, 16 Tim Mortimer, 17 Dom Maley, 18 Paradise Mann.
- OBERON TIGERS: 1 Blake Fitzpatrick, 2 Matt Ballinger, 3 Abel Lefaoseu, 4 Jackson Brien, 5 Tyler Hughes, 6 Luke Branighan, 7 Anton Wereta, 8 Dave Sellers, 9 Luke Carpenter, 10 Jake Dawe, 11 Tui Oloapu, 12 Trent Rose, 13 Matt Wakefield; Bench: 14 Sione Fotu Moala, 15 Mike Ingwerson, 16 Cody Godden, 17 Nathan Booth, 18 Blake Ryan.