ORANGE CYMS gun Kyran Bubb got a taste of representative footy last year and, since then, the 23-year-old backrower has wanted more.
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Bubb was 18th man for Group 10 in the lead-up to last year’s Western Division trial at Caltex Park, and sat in the stands as Group 10 went on to win 32-24 and earn the lions’ share of the Rams jumpers on offer ahead of the region’s tilt at the Country Rugby League tier two championships.
But this year, Bubb is getting his crack.
Named on the bench by Graeme Osborne ahead of Saturday’s clash, Bubb leads a new-look Group 10 side boasting mobility ahead of the sheer size that resulted in the visitors out-muscling Group 11 in last year’s fixture.
“I’m just happy being there,” the CYMS forward said.
“It was a bit of a goal of mine to make it this year. I’d love to continue to play rep footy, and playing Western Division has always been a goal of mine.
“I’d love to get one of those jerseys.”
Bubb won’t be the only CYMS player in Dubbo on Saturday, with Tim Bassmann and Ben McAlpine also named in the 18-man side.
Hawks Cody Robbins and Mitch Davis, who was strong in his debut for his new club against Cowra last Sunday, are the two blues players in the team.
In all, 11 incumbent Western Division players will run out for either Group 10 or Group 11 on Saturday.
Bubb said he wasn’t sure what to expect from the opposition, but with CYMS having played just the one game throughout the opening three weeks of the 2015 Group 10 season knew exactly how he was going in the lead-up to the biggest game of his senior career.
“I don’t know if you’d call it fresh,” he laughed.
“There’s not many k’s in the legs. I think I got through about 75 minutes in round one, so we’ll see how we go with that.”
There are still question marks over the final make-up of the Group 10 squad, however.
Blayney captain-coach Dane Howarth was sent off in the Bears’ loss to Mudgee on Sunday, while Mudgee duo Jack Afamasaga and Demetrius Anu are both carrying injuries after last weekend’s clash at Glen Willow.
Group 10 plays Group 11 in Dubbo on Saturday.
GROUP 10: 1 Tim Bassmann (Orange CYMS), 2 Cody Robbins (Orange Hawks), 3 Tom Lewsley (Mudgee), 4 Corin Smith (Mudgee), 5 Joel O’ Brien (Lithgow), 6 Ben McAlpine (CYMS), 7 Terry Brown (Blayney), 8 Ron Lawrence (Cowra), 9 Benjamin John (Bathurst St Pats), 10 Mitch Davis (Hawks), 11 Luke Newsome (St Pats), 12 Dane Howarth (Blayney), 13 Jack Afamasaga (Mudgee); 14 Luke Carpenter (Bathurst Panthers), 15 Demetrius Anu (Mudgee), 16 Kyran Bubb (CYMS), 17 Jack Nobes (Cowra), 18 Kirk Roberts (Oberon).
GROUP 11: 1 Sam Dwyer (Parkes), 2 John Grey (Dubbo CYMS), 3 Jyie Chapman (Dubbo CYMS), 4 Quinton Dickerson (Dubbo Westside), 5 Kieran Cubby-Shipp (Dubbo CYMS), 6 Colby Pellow (Dubbo CYMS), 7 Jacob Neill (Nyngan), 8 Brendon Tago (Parkes), 9 Jeremy Smith (Dubbo Macquarie), 10 Ben Maguire (Forbes), 11 Justin Toomey-White (Wellington), 12 Jack Medlyn (Parkes), 13 Jake Grace (Forbes), 14 Tino Ionatana (Parkes), 15 Ken Everson (Wellington), 17 Zac Merritt (Forbes), 18 Richard Peckham (Wellington).
