Redemption.
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That’s what Bathurst St Pat’s coach Mark Booth wants his side to find in Sunday’s Group 10 under 18s grand final against Orange CYMS at Wade Park.
From three prior meetings this season the Saints have been unable to beat CYMS, going down 46-6 in round one, 26-12 in round 10 and 40-14 in the major semi-final a fortnight ago.
Booth feels his side is better than what that record indicates, so wants his players to prove it by winning the grand final.
“We want to redeem ourselves because we are zero and three against them, the boys are better than that,” Booth said.
“It knocks you around a bit when you go up there none from three, but I’ve got all the confidence in the world in the boys, I’m just trying to rub some of that off onto them.
“I think we just need to get a really good start, the last couple of games we haven’t had a lot of ball in the first 10 minutes.”
After missing the direct path to the grand final, the Saints beat Mudgee 26-6 in last Sunday’s preliminary final to set up another meeting with CYMS.
It was a victory built around solid defence – a factor Booth knows will be crucial again in the grand final.
“Mudgee were on a bit of a roll, no-one thought they’d get to where they were and momentum is a very hard thing to stop. But we stopped that and we were very strong in defence, which was very pleasing,” the coach said.
“I’ve been saying all along and all through my career that defence is an attitude and unless you’ve got a good attitude, you won’t tackle alright.
“Off the back of good defence is where the attack comes.
“We really need to put them under the pump and see how they handle it.”
Sunday’s under 18s grand final between St Pat’s and CYMS will commence at 11.30am at Wade Park.
- ORANGE CYMS: 1 Nathan Swain, 2 Lincoln Monk, 3 Ethan Kennedy, 4 Lindsay Thurgate, 5 Mitch Collins, 6 Craig Tarr, 7 Josh Board, 8 Hudson Spicer, 9 Sam Warner, 10 Tyrone Harrison, 11 Hugh Gibson, 12 Jack West, 13 Ethan Monk; Bench: 14 Mitch Leonard, 15 Craig Simpson, 16 Jack Braithwaite, 17 Lachlan Salisbury, 18 Jett Clarke, 23 Josh Piper, 25 Will Cusack.
- BATHURST ST PAT’S: 1 Adam Booth, 2 Lachlan Dagg, 3 Aiden Kilburn, 4 Tye Siaskisoni, 5 Dylan Dukes, 6 Connor Naylor, 7 Mick Latu, 8 Nick Booth, 9 Zach Ashcroft, 10 Riley Cheshire, 11 Rylee Law, 12 Bailey Ackroyd, 13 Luke Bain; Bench: 14 Pat Clarke, 15 Max Campbell, 16 Blake Hadjipetros, 17 Jack McLeod, 18 Travis Simpson, 19 Joseph Clarke, 20 Luke Ayoub.