ROSES, Ales and Lagi Setu's brother ... the class of the 2016 has lit up the Group 10 competition's opening nine rounds. Here are the players leading your side's charge to the premiership this season.
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Cast your vote for the most influential at the bottom of the story.
1 TRENT ROSE (Oberon)
THERE’S a stack of new faces leading Oberon’s charge up the Group 10 ladder in 2016 - but there’s one player the reigning Group 10 premiers CYMS were dirty about losing, and that’s Trent Rose.
The 2016 Dave Scott medallist, Rose’s footwork at the line and ability to offload has taken Oberon’s attack to new heights.
His combination with three-quarter Jackson Brien and winger Blake Miller making the Oberon left edge the most potent in the competition.
Left side, strong side.
2 BEN McALPINE (CYMS)
AT fullback and the key to CYMS’ attack.
With the freedom the custodian’s role brings, McAlpine has the ability to pop up anywhere in the green and golds’ backline this winter - which, considering his potent attacking ability as CYMS right edge centre for the last five years, should keep opposition coaches awake at night in 2016.
If he fires, CYMS all but win this 2016 title.
3 ANTONIO ALE (St Pat’s)
A PREMIERSHIP winner with St Pat’s in 2014, then another grand final appearance with Lithgow in 2015.
It seems a lay down misere Ale will again make a decider this season - St Pat’s are just lucky he’s donning the blue and white in 2016.
As evasive as anyone in Group 10, the fullback served a three game suspension earlier this season and his return in round four has sparked the Saints to second on the ladder come the long weekend.
4 ROTA SETU (Mudgee)
WAS there ever any doubt Setu would be a hit in his first year of Group 10 footy?
The former Queensland Country gun in the National Rugby Championship landed at Mudgee last winter, but played for the Wombats in the Blowes Clothing Cup, running amuck in the mid-field to star as the club enjoyed a stunning 2015 campaign.
Now a Dragon, the peanut gallery is loving it.
5 GEORGE ROSE (Oberon)
GORGEOUS George, not in Group 10’s top four - outrageous.
A NRL player as late as last season with the St George-Illawarra Dragons, Rose has added plenty of size and experience to an Oberon pack boasting plenty of potential but, in the past, one that’s probably been guilty of being a bit soft around the edges.
Rose adds that bit of mettle to the Tigers.
6 JACKSON BRIEN (Oberon)
INCREDIBLY underrated, Brien is easily the form centre of the 2016 Group 10 competition.
Evasive and deceptively quick, Brien has been unleashed on Oberon’s left edge with the introduction of Trent Rose into their 2016 squad and, along with winger Blake Miller, could run a quinella in the Group 10 try-scoring stakes come the end of the regular season.
Now, if only someone will help him put his headgear on properly.
7 BRADY CHESHIRE (St Pat’s)
WHAT’S not to love about a big red-haired prop prepared to call out the opposition for being soft?
He’s not quick. He’s not too flashy either. But he’s big and has that typical fiery quality all great red heads do, and he’s led St Pat’s pack all the way to the competition’s top two at the half-way point of the season.
8 WARREN WILLIAMS (Cowra)
HOW good is it to see Williams firing?
A prodigious talent that represented Group 10, Western Division and NSW Country at an under-18s level, the Cowra enigma has battled to put it all together in first grade for the better part of a decade.
But a massive effort to be fit and firing for Cowra in 2016 resulted in some 25 kilograms being shed from his powerful frame, and he’s been, when not injured, arguably the Magpies’ best this season, earning representative jumpers with both Group 10 and Western Rams along the way.
9 JEREMY GORDON (Panthers)
FITS into the same phenomenally talented bracket as Williams does.
The Bathurst Panthers fullback is the key attacking player in Todd Barrow’s arsenal in 2016 and as such has been crucial in lifting the Panthers from a side with ability to a side delivering on its potential.
10 SIMON OSBORNE/MITCH DAVIS/CAM JONES (CYMS)
THE most powerful prop rotation in the competition, the trio has played in four games together and CYMS have won all of them.
You do the math.
It doesn’t take an Einstein to work out the importance the treble has on the defending premiers, but injury and suspension has dented their impact on the defending premiers significantly.
Without the three of them, they lost to Oberon, drew with Panthers 30-all and lost to St Pat’s - Sullivan was filthy on both results.
11 BRENDON VAN VEEN (Workies)
Easily the best player at at Lithgow’s disposal and he’s only played two games so far in this season.
On the back of this bloke, Workies could prove a serious nightmare for many teams on the home run in 2016.
12 NICK LOADER (Panthers)
IF this list was top 20 players to play at Wade Park this season, Loader would be No.1 - by the length of the straight.
The Panthers rake has scored six tries in two games at the home of rugby league in Orange this season, adding a brace of tries to the four he scored against Hawks in round one when CYMS and Panthers drew 30-all.
Arguably the quickest hooker in the competition.
13 LACHY HOBBY (Blayney)
HAS anyone had bigger shoes to fill this year than young Blayney prop Lachy Hobby.
The Bears have been without Terawhiti Cooper and coach Dane Howarth in the forwards sporadically for the opening half of the season, and each game Hobby has been the one standing up for the top three-bound Bears.
14 RORY BRIEN (Cowra)
IF there’s a side from outside of the top five capable of making a run at the title, it’s Cowra.
Bassmann, Williams, Bruest, Lawrence and Tidswell, Brien will have to have them all firing as Cowra guns for a strong run home.
Watch this space.
15 BOBBY BROWN (Blayney)
IF Nick Loader is one of the fastest hookers in Group 10, Brown is easily the craftiest.
Headed to Blayney to play with his brother Terry before tragedy hit the club, Bobby has continued to help the maroon and whites around the park out of acting half. A quality No.9.
16 JACK AFAMASAGA (Mudgee)
TWO words - 2014 form, that is if 2014 can be counted as word.
Either way, they’re frightening when you throw the name Jack Afamasaga in as a precursor.
After being replaced as coach and then rumours surrounding the former NRL wrecking ball’s movement to Oberon, then St Pat’s and even Orange CYMS, Afamasaga has been tremendous up front for the Dragons after sticking with Mudgee.
17 MICK SULLIVAN (CYMS)
NO player in Group 10 has the kind of experience Mick Sullivan does, as such he demands a place on this list.
He hates losing, it’s that simple.
18 BRENT SEAGER (Panthers)
THE Brent Seager bell-ringer is still one of the true wonders iof Group 10 footy.
More of it Brent, preferably with Panthers mounting plenty of pressure on their rivals come finals time.
19 BRODIE CHRISTOPHERSON (Hawks)
BEST halfback in Group 10.
A stretch at this point in time in 2016, but Christopherson has shown enough this season to suggest he’s capable of assuming the mantle in a couple of years time.
20 BRENDAN WEST (Lithgow)
THE big Western Rams prop plucking a kick out of thin air then racing 75 metres untouched to score against Hawks will be the highlight of the season for Workies.
It was the slowest 75 metres of all time, but showed how key West is for the battling Lithgow club.
