Scoring a hat-trick in one of the most memorable Group 10 premier league grand finals in history, that’s every boy’s dream isn’t it?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It’s one Orange CYMS winger Tom Satterthwaite lived out at Wade Park on Sunday afternoon, crossing three times in his side’s 23-22 victory over Oberon, which was sealed by a Mick Sullivan field goal.
He was awarded the Dave Scott Medal for man-of-the-match as a result.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s a great feeling, I’m a bit lost for words to be honest,” Satterthwaite said, before heaping praise on his right-edge centre Joe Lasagavibau.
Satterthwaite’s performance was magnificent, at both ends of the paddock, but Lasagavibau was monumental as well.
The pair’s right-edge combination was lethal, it was all through 2017.
Lasagavibau notched assists in all three of Satterthwaite’s tries and produced a stunning play in the lead-up to Rob Mortimer’s as well.
In fact, if the award could be shared, there’d be no two players more deserving of being named joint winners.
“I’m very lucky to be playing outside a guy like Joey,” Satterthwaite said.
“He’s set me up all year, he’s a very special player. I’ve never played with anyone like that before.”
Satterthwaite’s first try opened CYMS’ grand final account on Sunday, in the 26th minute.
The hosts were trailing 14-0 at that stage and needed a spark to claw their way back into the contest, Lasagavibau provided that and Satterthwaite finished the movement.
Completely against the run of play, Lasagavibau broke through Oberon’s left-edge defence – which had trouble with CYMS’ right side all day – before finding his hulking winger on his outside.
Satterthwaite went the remaining 40 metres to dive over.
His second and third tries came either side of Rob Mortimer’s, the trio of four-pointers coming in the space of 15 minutes at the back end of the game and catapulting CYMS back into the contest.
With the hosts trailing the brave Tigers 22-8 with 60 minutes gone, Lasagavibau latched onto a long cut-out ball from five-eighth Luke Petrie. He skipped onto the outside of Jackson Brien, before turning Oberon captain-coach Luke Branighan around.
He found Satterthwaite again, who beat his Tigers counterpart and finished expertly.
After Mortimer scored to make it 18-18 – a try Lasagavibau sparked by forcing a drop-out – CYMS’ centre was put in space by fullback Ben McAlpine, stepped past Matt Ballinger and again linked with his winger.
Satterthwaite out-muscled Oberon fullback Blake Fitzpatrick and hooker Luke Carpenter to plant it down in Wade Park’s north-eastern corner.
That locked the game up at 22-22, before Sullivan slotted a match-winning field goal in the 77th minute.
“Oh you’d back him (to kick it), he’s got the experience from the highest level,” Satterthwaite said of the field goal.
“He’s the only person you’d want to give the ball to in that situation.”
Sullivan, post-game, couldn’t have given Satterthwaite and Lasagavibau higher praise.
“That right-edge, Joey there and then Tommy finishing, sensational stuff,” Sullivan said after full-time.
“They were, and are, great defensively as well.”