Awarded to the best team each year in the Country Rugby League since 1937, the Clayton Cup is notoriously difficult to win, with the only other Dubbo side to claim the Cup being the all-conquering Macquarie premiership winning team of 1959. 

Should CYMS hold the Group 11 trophy aloft on September 11, undefeated, the Fishies will achieve a stunning first for the club and end a 57-year drought for the city.

Aside from a loss, which would spell the end of the club’s Cup ambition, the only stumbling block to Tim Ryan’s men winning the trophy appears to be the Moruya Sharks.

The Sharks are also undefeated heading into the Group 16 grand final this Sunday against Bega.

Country Rugby League revealed CYMS was in the running for the Cup on Monday, with the Sharks and two other sides also in contention of fulfilling the criteria used to award the Clayton Cup winner for 79 years.

“Technically North Tamworth Bears are also in the running, along with Dapto Canaries,” CRL said.

“Both sides are undefeated but have drawn one match. If Moruya or Dubbo win their grand finals, this would rule the Bears and Canaries out.”

Differential is also used to determine a winner, with CYMS’ plus-457 slightly below Moruya’s plus-470. That will obviously change in the coming weeks when the Fishies play in the major semi-final and, potentially, the grand final.

Predominantly, there’s two main criteria determined to award a Clayton Cup recipient, widely regarded by the CRL to be the best performed first grade team in all member Group or Division competitions.

The CRL shall seek nominations for the award of the Clayton Cup following the completion of all the last Group or Division grand finals for that year.

If there’s multiple contenders, the winner of the Clayton Cup shall be selected by the CRL Board, based on a recommendation of the CEO, based on: win-loss records; total points scored; total points conceded; number of games played; and, any other criteria which the CRL Board considers relevant.

For such a rich rugby league nursery, Group 11 winners of the prestigious Clayton Cup are few and far between.

Cobar’s run to the 1998 title is the only time in the Cup’s history that a side has claimed both the Group 11 premiership and the Clayton Cup in the same year.

Dubbo Macquarie’s win in 1959 was while competing in the old Group 8 competition, which included sides the likes of Goulburn Workies.

Group 2’s Port Macquarie Sharks won the Cup in 2015. 

This year’s minor premiers, CYMS has the first week of semi-finals off.

1937 West Tamworth Group 4

1938 Nimmitabel Group 16

1939 Wagga Magpies Group 9

1940 Henty Group 9

1946 Port Kembla Illawarra

1947 Bombala Group 9

1948 Cootamundra Group 9

1949 Tumut Group 9

1950 Bathurst Railway Group 10

1951 North Tamworth Group 4

1952 Gundagai Group 9

1953 Young Group 9

1954 Orange CYMS Group 10

1955 Young Group 9

1956 Maitland United Newcastle

1957 Temora Group 9

1958 Coonamble Group 14

1959 Dubbo Macquarie Group 8

1960 Goulburn Workers Group 8

1961 Ballina Group 1

1962 Warialda Group 19

1963 Tweed Heads Seagulls Group 18

1964 Oberon Group 10

1965 Tullibigeal Group 17

1966 Picton Magpies Group 6

1967 Casino Group 1

1968 Darlington Point Group 20

1969 Tarcutta Group 13

1970 Delegate Group19

1971 Cobar Group 15

1972 Cobar Group 15

1973 Gunnedah Group 4

1974 Queanbeyan United Group 8

1975 Albury Blues Group 13

1976 Bombala Group 16

1977 Belconnen United Group 19

1978 Sawtell Group 2

1979 Scone Group 21

1980 Narwan Group 19

1981 Bellingen Group 2

1982 Warilla Group 7

1983 Tweed Heads Seagulls Group 18

1984 Bourke Group 15

1985 Tumbarumba Group 13

1986 Tumbarumba Group 13

1987 Lismore Marist Brothers Group 1

1988 Bega Group 16

1989 Tweed Heads Seagulls Group 18

1990 Singleton Group 21

1991 Mittagong Group 6

1992 Western Suburbs Newcastle

1993 Rankin Springs Group 17

1994 Forster- Tuncurry Group 3

1995 Forster- Tuncurry Group 3

1996 Werris Creek Group 4

1997 Eden Group 16

1998 Cobar Group 11

1999 Barellan Group 17

2000 Taree City Group 3

2001 Port Macquarie Group 2

2002 Barellan Group 17

2003 Narooma Group 16

2004 Temora Group 9

2005 Umina Beach Central Coast

2006 Hillston Bluebirds Group 17

2007 Albion Park- Oak Flats Group 7

2008 The Entrance Central Coast

2009 Yenda Group 20

2010 Grafton Ghosts Northern Rivers

2011 Grafton Ghosts Northern Rivers

2012 Campbelltown Eagles Group 6

2013 Wauchope Blues Group 3

2014 North Tamworth Bears Group 4

2015 Port Macquarie Sharks Group 2