The former Orange CYMS captain-coach picked up an ankle injury while playing touch footy and missed last week's qualifying semi-final loss as well.

Sullivan has named himself on the bench but rates his chances of playing less than 50 per cent.

The five-time Group 10 premiership-winning coach is no stranger to playing injured, and during his nine year stint in green and gold often battled through pain to play pivotal roles in CYMS wins.

"But the older you get the longer it takes to recover,'' he told the Manning River Times.

Sullivan added he'd be little more than a passenger if he tried to play.

"I tried to run a straight line this week. I can't even do that,'' he lamented.

"I'm named on the bench, but at this stage I'm not going to play - it's too big a risk. It's going to take a miracle.

'I'm not even 40 or 50 per cent fit.

"I've played with injuries plenty of times before. But I wouldn't be of any value out on the field with this (injury)."

However, he will continue to get treatment on the ankle and hope for some heavenly intervention between now and 3pm Saturday when the match kicks off at the Wingham Sporting Complex.

The Tigers will definitely field a former CYMS title winner though, even without Sullivan in the line-up, with Kyran Bubb named in the back-row for Wingham.