Orange CYMS are one win away from hosting a third straight Group 10 premier league grand final after securing the minor title at Wade Park on Sunday, earning a week off before the major semi in the process.
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After Bathurst Panthers handed Oberon a 54-4 victory on Saturday Orange CYMS needed to beat the Blayney Bears by 33 points or more on Sunday afternoon to seal the minor trophy.
The green and golds did that and then some, taking just 25 minutes to go past that mark on their way to a dominant 76-6 victory.
CYMS scored at more than a point a minute in the opening half, taking a 56-0 lead into the break and notching another four tries in the second period after taking their foot off the gas.
“Credit to Panthers, they stuck it to Oberon [on Saturday] and really put the challenge to us but we got it done pretty comfortably,” CYMS captain-coach Mick Sullivan said.
“We scored those [33 points] pretty quickly and that really took the pressure off for us, but fair credit to Blayney too they had a lot of first graders who played reserve grade and then backed up so it was a hard effort for them.
“We attacked that early and it paid off for us.”
That week off is going to be hugely important for Sullivan’s side in the long run, CYMS has a crowded casualty ward at the moment and should get several players back before the grand final qualifier.
The likes of Tim and Rob Mortimer and Chris Bamford are all in line to return by then.
Panthers really put the challenge to us but we got it done pretty comfortably.
- CYMS captain-coach Mick Sullivan
“With our injury toll, any rest for our club is a positive thing,” Sullivan said.
“We’ll hopefully get a few guys back and even though they’ll be short of a run, if they’re not match-fit now they’ll never be so it’ll just be about topping it up at training and then going from there, hopefully getting ourselves another home grand final too.”
To get that home grand final CYMS will have to take care of either Panthers or Oberon, the two sides facing off again in next weekend’s qualifying final at Carrington Park.
CYMS showed little, if any mercy on Sunday afternoon as they ran in 14 tries to Blayney’s one, the Bears’ only four-pointer coming after an opportunistic quick tap from back-rower Charlie Mortimer in the 60th minute.
Twelve of CYMS’ 14 tries had come before Blayney’s though, including a hat-trick for replacement hooker Sam Hill.
He was one of four multiple try-scorers for CYMS on Sunday, Ryan Griffin, Dom Maley and Lachie Munro also grabbing doubles.
Ben McAlpine’s 40-20 in the second minute proved a sign of things to come, as Griffin grabbed his first from the resulting set.
Joe Lasagavibau crossed from the set after the restart and although the Bears went within inches of scoring a try of their own in their first attacking set, the chance went begging and the rout continued as Semisi Katoa scored straight away for CYMS.
The green and golds ran in another 11 tries in the remaining 55 minutes, McAlpine slotting 10 of his 14 conversion attempts and scoring a try too, finishing with a 24-point haul.
- ORANGE CYMS 76 (Sam Hill 3, Ryan Griffin 2, Dom Maley 2, Lachie Munro 2, Joe Lasagavibau, Semisi Katoa, Ben McAlpine, Mick Sullivan, Tom Satterthwaite tries; McAlpine 10 goals) def BLAYNEY BEARS 6 (Charlie Mortimer try; Josh Rainbow goal)