The 2017 Group 10 season was billed as a run between three sides – CYMS, Panthers and Oberon.
All three delivered on the hype, but few could have tipped the grand final that would cap a remarkable season.
VOTE FOR YOUR MOMENT OF THE 2017 GROUP 10 SEASON HERE:
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
PRE-SEASON:
Big name signings punctuate the pre-season: Hawks announce Willie Heta as the club’s coach, Corin Smith joins Mudgee, Chris Bamford links with CYMS and Oberon nab Luke Branighan as captain-coach.
While, on the field, the Indigenous All Stars complete a stunning comeback to knock off the Group 10 All Stars at King George Oval, Blayney.
Terry Brown Medal winner Jeremy Gordon stars in the 38-28 victory, while CYMS land a recruitment coup on the eve of the season with the addition of former NRL flyer Bronx Goodwin.
ROUND ONE:
CYMS picks up a couple of injuries during a season-opening thumping of St Pat’s, the big concern being Mick Sullivan’s ribs.
Premiers Mudgee avoid a first-up loss to the spirited Magpies at Sid Kallas Oval, and do so without both Jack Afamasaga and Corin Smith.
SCORES: Orange CYMS 42 def Bathurst St Pat’s 6, Oberon Tigers 48 def Orange Hawks 18, Bathurst Panthers 40 def Lithgow Workies 12, Mudgee Dragons 14 def Cowra Magpies 10.
ROUND TWO:
A clash brought forward to early March, Heta’s Group 10 debut is one to remember, the 2016 Newcastle player of the year scoring a try, laying on seven others and booting nine goals from 10 attempts in Hawks’ 58-16 thrashing of Blayney.
Meanwhile, CYMS shoot out to a 22-0 lead in its Thursday night clash with Panthers, the men in black storming home to edge within six points before falling just short of victory.
SCORES: Orange CYMS 22 def Bathurst Panthers 16, Mudgee Dragons16 def Bathurst St Pat’s 8, Oberon Tigers 30 def Cowra 20, Orange Hawks 58 def Blayney Bears 16.
ROUND THREE:
The two blues knock off defending champs Mudgee and Panthers claim the Anzac Day Rugby League Memorial Trophy with a 14-point win over St Pat’s.
But coach Todd Barrow isn’t thrilled with the win, lamented a third slow start from as many rounds from a side predicted to be among the contenders in 2017.
SCORES: Orange Hawks 28 def Mudgee Dragons 18, Oberon Tigers 26 def Lithgow Workies 12, Cowra Magpies 42 def Blayney Bears 4, Bathurst Panthers 24 def Bathurst St Pat’s 10.
ROUND FOUR:
Panthers gun Jeremy Gordon scores three tries and a total of 32 points in his side’s thumping of the enigmatic two blues.
SCORES: Orange CYMS 36 def Cowra Magpies 12, Bathurst Panthers 72 def Orange Hawks 12, Lithgow Workies 38 def Blayney Bears 4, Oberon Tigers 21 def Mudgee Dragons 14.
ROUND FIVE:
After playing at home for the opening month of the season, Oberon’s first road trip of 2017 nets the Tigers a maiden loss.
It’s the second time in two seasons question marks emerge about the club’s ability to win on the road.
SCORES: Orange CYMS 40 def Orange Hawks 30, Bathurst St Pat’s 26 def Oberon Tigers 14, Cowra Magpies 32 def Lithgow Workies 18, Bathurst Panthers 44 def Blayney Bears 10.
ROUND SIX:
Delivering on the promise shown in flashes during the 2016 season, Cowra halves Cameron Breust and Warren Williams give Cowra fans plenty to cheer about after lifting the swoopers to a comfortable 24-6 victory over Batuhurst St Pat’s.
Breust and Williams took charge in the second half as Cowra piled on 24 unanswered points courtesy of a Williams double and one each to Breust and Toby Nobes.
While CYMS turned the tables on Mudgee after last year’s dramatic grand final clash between the two clubs, the green and golds running out comfortable winners over the red and whites at Glen Willow.
SCORES: Orange CYMS 32 def Mudgee Dragons 12, Orange Hawks 44 def Lithgow Workies 24, Cowra Magpies 24 def Bathurst St Pat’s 6, Oberon Tigers 40 def Blayney Bears 0.
ROUND SEVEN:
CYMS runs riot in the biggest game of the season to date, running in nine tries against Oberon at Wade Park – the Tigers debuting former Parramatta gun Tui Oloapu in the clash.
SCORES: Lithgow Workies 16 def Bathurst St Pat’s 8, Mudgee Dragons 56 def Blayney Bears 10, Bathurst Panthers 58 def Cowra Magpies 0, Orange CYMS 50 def Oberon Tigers 12.
ROUND EIGHT:
Blayney leads St Pat’s 18-10 at the break but stumbles in search of a maiden win in 2017 as the blue and whites storm to a 24-point victory.
CYMS races in 14 tries in a rout of Workies at Wade Park – fullback Ben McAlpine accounting for 40 of his side’s 84 points – while Ben Thompson is sent off in Mudgee’s loss to Panthers.
SCORES: Orange CYMS 84 def Lithgow Workies 8, Cowra Magpies 41 def Orange Hawks 20, Bathurst St Pat’s 48 def Blayney Bears 24, Bathurst Panthers 56 def Mudgee Dragons 26.
ROUND NINE:
With player of the year votes released at the completion of round seven, CYMS prop Chris Bamford is the runaway lead with 17 points, meaning the hulking prop has nailed the maximum three votes in five of the six games – CYMS had a round three bye - he's played and polled two in the other.
Meanwhile, the absence of Mick Sullivan with a torn calf doesn’t dent CYMS’ on-field momentum with the competition leaders winning 40-8 over Blayney.
SCORES: Orange Hawks 56 def Bathurst St Pat's 12, Orange CYMS 40 def Blayney 8, Mudgee 44 def Lithgow 4, Bathurst Panthers 28 def Oberon 6.
ROUND 10:
Oberon breaks its road duck for 2017, returning to form after a win over Hawks at Wade Park and St Pat’s produce its best footy of the winter to push undefeated competition leaders CYMS, but a 15-minute lapse allows Mick Sullivan’s side to secure win number nine for the year.
SCORES: Oberon Tigers 32 def Orange Hawks 24, Orange CYMS 28 def Bathurst St Pat’s 24, Bathurst Panthers 26 def Lithgow Workies 12, Mudgee Dragons 32 def Cowra Magpies 20.
ROUND 11:
In one of the closest rounds of footy in recent seasons, two games – Panthers-CYMS and Blayney-Hawks – end in draws, the former dubbed a grand final preview given the standing of both sides.
The result, for Hawks, was secondary to the celebration of indigenous culture the club embraced: “The Indigenous culture within our club and community is something we should all be very proud of. Hawks president Mark Johnson.
SCORES: Bathurst Panthers 30 drew with Orange CYMS 30, Mudgee Dragons 32 def Bathurst St Pat’s 18, Oberon Tigers 32 def Cowra Magpies 6, Orange Hawks 36 drew with Blayney Bears 36.
ROUND 12:
Workies celebrated 60 years in Group 10 , producing a stunning performance but falling agonisingly short against the Oberon Tigers.
A field goal from Oberon five-eighth Anton Wereta in the final minute was the difference in a hard fought encounter, which the Tigers won 19-18.
SCORES: Mudgee Dragons 50 def Orange Hawks 10, Bathurst Panthers 36 def Bathurst St Pat’s 14, Oberon Tigers 19 def Lithgow Workies 18, Cowra Magpies 20 def Blayney Bears 12.
ROUND 13:
In a bid to bolster the side’s pack ahead of a run at the title, CYMS sign kiwi monster Paradise Mann from Christchurch.
Mann comes off the bench in the green and golds’ romp of Cowra, with Tom Satterthwaite and Bronx Goodwin running riot with five and four tries respectively as the undefeated competition leaders notch up a century for the first time in Mick Sullivan’s tenure at the club.
While, in a clash played on the June long weekend as a prelude to the NRL clash at Carrington Park, Hawks produce flashes of brilliance but ultimately go down to Panthers by 10 points.
SCORES: Orange CYMS 100 def Cowra Magpies 6, Mudgee Dragons 24 def Oberon Tigers 12, Lithgow Workies 40 def Blayney Bears 14, Bathurst Panthers 38 def Orange Hawks 28.
ROUND 14:
On a day when the club honoured its 1987 premiership winning side, CYMS looked every bit an outfit capable of claiming a title with a stirring 28 point win over Hawks, claiming the Ray Kelly Shield after it was found in the lead-up to the second derby of 2017.
Cowra shocks Lithgow, too, and Panthers maintains its top two spot, and a shot at the minor premiership, with a big win over Blayney.
SCORES: Bathurst Panthers 48 def Blayney Bears 18, Cowra Magpies 24 def Lithgow Workies 10, Oberon Tigers 14 def Bathurst St Pat’s 0, Orange CYMS 52 def Orange Hawks 24.
ROUND 15:
Lithgow all but ends Hawks 2017 campaign with a thumping 36-20 win, a Jono Van Veen inspired Workies racing in 30 second half points to keep their own finals chances alive.
The Tigers begin to find form ahead of the finals, securing third spot with a 18-point win over the Bears.
SCORES: Bathurst St Pat’s 24 def Cowra Magpies 16, Oberon Tigers 32 def Blayney Bears 14, Lithgow Workies 36 def Orange Hawks 20, Orange CYMS 40 def Mudgee Dragons 14.
ROUND 16:
COWRA coach Rory Brien slams the Group 10 premier league draw, blaming it for a number injuries his players have sustained in recent weeks. The Magpies play seven of their last nine games away from Cowra.
“It’s hard for some people when you’re playing away … it’s a really hard situation they’ve put us in,” Brien said. “We’ve been dudded with the draw.”
Predictably, the Magpies struggle on field, going down to Panthers. But the Magpies show plenty of heart post-game, buying the charity, National Breast Cancer Foundation jumper of Panther Bradyn Cassidy before donating it back to the flier, who scores three tries in his side’s win.
Cassidy’s mother passed away from breast cancer. The club raised over $6000.
SCORES: Orange CYMS 26 def Oberon Tigers 12, Lithgow Workies 50 def Bathurst St Pat’s 16, Bathurst Panthers 62 def Cowra 16, Mudgee Dragons 64 def BLAYNEY BEARS 0.
ROUND 17:
Lithgow shocks the competition after handing CYMS its first loss of the season, the 32-22 victory ensuring Workies maintain a firm grip on fifth on the ladder.
SCORES: Bathurst Panthers 32 def Mudgee Dragons 10, Bathurst St Pat’s 36 def Blayney Bears 14, ithgow Workies 32 def Orange CYMS 22, Orange Hawks 32 def Cowra Magpies 28.
ROUND 18:
Lithgow, again, stuns Group 10 with a victory over the Dragons in Mudgee to earn fifth place and the final finals spot.
It means, despite a big 44-36 win over St Pat’s in the final round, Hawks miss out on the top five while CYMS secures the minor premiership via a thumping win over Blayney, sans the injured Chris Bamford.
SCORES: Bathurst Panthers 54 def Oberon Tigers 4, Lithgow Workies 16 def Mudgee Dragons 14, Orane Hawks 44 def Bathurst St Pat’s 36, Orange CYMS 76 def Blayney Bears 6.
WEEK ONE:
Seven days after having the cleans put through them, Oberon stuns Bathurst Panthers 20- 16 in one of the biggest boilovers in Group 10 finals history.
Trailing 10-4 at half-time, the return of injured captain-coach Luke Branighan inspires Oberon to the win and books the black and golds a major semi-final date with CYMS.
Mudgee ends Workies’ late-season surge in the elimination semi-final at Glen Willow behind Ethan Burtler’s hat-trick in the 32-0 whitewash.
WEEK TWO:
“You don’t want Oberon hosting … it’d be tough to go over there with their crowd.”
Orange CYMS coach Mick Sullivan says his side won’t head into the major semi-final with one iota of complacency against a red-hot, giant-killing Tigers, basically for fear of a trip to Oberon.
It proves a winning mentality, too, as the minor premiers emerge victorious 30-12 and earn another grand final at Wade Park, CYMS’ fifth home decider in eight seasons.
And a week after falling to Oberon, Panthers earn a rematch with Branighan’s men thanks to a 38-12 minor semi-final win over defending premiers Mudgee.
WEEK THREE:
Orange CYMS hulk Chris Bamford takes out the 2017 player of the year award, storming to the title.
Panthers fall to the Tigers for the second time in three weeks, this time at Oberon, as the black and golds win through to the club’s first grand final in 42 years thanks to a 24-12 preliminary final win.
GRAND FINAL:
VIEW THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE 2017 GROUP 10 GRAND FINAL HERE:
A Mick Sullivan field goal from 20 metres out with just three minutes left on the clock sealed Orange CYMS’ fifth Group 10 premier league title in the last eight years, also completing one of the greatest grand final comebacks in the competition’s history.
The Tigers led 22-8 with just 20 minutes remaining before CYMS stormed home on the back of Dave Scott medalist Tom Satterthwaite – he bagged a hat-trick – and his centre partner Joe Lasagavibau to win 23-22.
Oberon supporters vent their frustrations post-game, directing most of the fury on to Sullivan, who smartly wound down the clock by jogging backwards with just seconds left.
Lithgow wins first division, CYMS takes out the under 18s and St Pat’s storm to the league tag premiership in style.
CYMS’ RUN MAKES SULLY AND CO PART OF GROUP 10’S ELITE CLASS
Five premierships in eight season, in 70-odd years not many Group 10 sides have achieved that feat.
In fact, just two have.
CYMS won five crowns in a decade during the 1950s while Oberon’s run of 10 titles in 11 seasons through the ‘60s and ‘70s is the stuff of legend.
That record, much like St George’s similar run at the top level of rugby league, will likely never be emulated.
So, really, anything close to that is worth celebrating.
The current Orange CYMS outfit, the one led by Mick Sullivan is worth celebrating.
With such success, this era of CYMS is now part of an elite class that includes some of the best bush footy teams in any competition, let alone Group 10.
Titles in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and now 2017 – to go along with grand final appearances in 2012 and 2016 – it’s an incredible run of consistency that speaks volumes about the competitive flame that burns within Sullivan, a former NRL player that landed at the club in 2010.
Really …. it’s hard to work out what happened in 2014 when the club missed the finals altogether. Forget that, though.
When winning has been the fabric of the club for the last decade, one off year can be forgiven.
No other coach or captain has been able to help a club to more than four titles in an era in the last half century.
Shamrocks won three during the 80s. Blayney took out four grand finals between 1990 and 1998 while Mudgee won three between 2000-05 – the Dragons made the decider in all of those seasons, too.
Sullivan has helped CYMS to five titles, and if it weren’t for that Rota Setu try on the full-time siren in the 2016 grand final, it would have been six.
He’s had the backing, of course – there’s no shying away from that.
The club, one with an incredibly hard working committee, has been able to attract plenty of big names to help CYMS achieve its current level of success.
Chris Bamford’s the obvious headline act in 2017, but a throng of the club’s best players this year are all juniors and they’re all getting better.
Tom Satterthwaite, Jo Duffy, Lachlan Munro, Luke Petrie, Ryan Griffin, Sam Hill, Cam Jones, Robbie Mortimer, they all started in the green and gold lower grades.
They’ll all be there again in 2018 too.
And that production line is only getting better.
The club’s under 18s won the 2017 Group 10 premiership – look out for Tyrone Harrison out of that team – with a stack of those players likely to filter into the senior grades.
With that in mind, who’s to say the club is done with five premierships – there’s two in first division and the 2017 under 18s title as well – in the last eight years?
The answer to that is simple: They’re not.
Granted Ben McAlpine, Timmy Mortimer, Brenden Cousins and potentially Semisi Katoa and Bamford won’t be in CYMS’ colours next season.
But they won’t be worse.
In many ways, CYMS is a how-to model for other bush footy clubs and while ever Sullivan is at the helm, you can back the green and golds to be more than competitive.