ORANGE CYMS captain coach MICK Sullivan has made his players accountable for the green and golds’ disappointing recent performances, naming a vastly different side for Saturday’s Group 10 premier league clash with Blayney.
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Star recruit Dan Stuart returns from injury, at fullback, with Western Division custodian Tim Bassmann slotting into the centres.
Twenty-year-old Zac Rue lines up on the wing in place of Jarrod Robbins while Des Knight returns to the top grade starting line-up, relegating Zac Bohan to the bench.
Kyran Bubb returns to his favoured second row position after several weeks in the centres, in place of the released Pat Galea, with Scott Piper taking the open three-quarter position.
“We’ve pretty much named the guys who are the most keen,” Sullivan said.
“It isn’t so much a form thing, a lot of the guys going to reserve grade just needed more minutes than they were getting. The guys coming up have been playing good footy, so we’re still very confident of getting the win against Blayney.
“I think putting Timmy [Bassmann] into the centres gives us a bit more balance, Dan [Stuart] is really only a fullback whereas Timmy is more versatile.”
Both teams enter the clash desperate for victory - CYMS has lost four consecutive games, and Blayney three.
“I just think we’re lacking form as a team,” Sullivan said.
“We’ve got a new look side, hopefully we can put it together a bit better [today].
“Blayney can smell a bit of blood, they’ll come out hard and be keen to knock us off. They’ve pushed some of the best sides in the competition recently.”
The game is being played today, rather than tomorrow, at King George Oval. It doubles as an Old Boys day in memory of Michael “Huck” Hornby, a former Blayney player who died from melanoma in January this year.
There will be an Old Boys game, kicking off at midday, contesting the Michael “Huck” Hornby Memorial Trophy, before premier league kicks off at 2.15pm.
ORANGE CYMS: 1 Dan Stuart, 2 Zac Rue, 3 Scott Piper, 4 Tim Bassmann, 5 Semesi Katoa, 6 Ben McAlpine, 7 Mick Sullivan (c-c), 8 Des Knight, 9 Sam Hill, 10 Brent Colley, 11 Riley Law, 12 Kyran Bubb, 13 Ben Gosper; Bench: 14 Zac Bohan, 15 Kiel Vardanega.