He’s done battle with a long list of coaches during his six years at the helm of Dubbo CYMS, but Saturday will be something new for Tim Ryan.
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The round five derby clash with Westside will see Ryan match wits with Matt Naden, a former CYMS star and a player who the Fishies coach respects greatly.
Naden and fellow co-coach Claude Gordon have turned things around at Westside and after two successive wooden spoons, the Rabbitohs head into the derby with plenty of confidence after successive victories.
“It will be very interesting,” Ryan said of taking on Naden.
“It hasn’t happened before (to me) so I expect them to show some traits of the coach, that how it normally works.”
Naden made no secret of the fact he would be trying to implement some CYMS-like discipline at the Rabbitohs this season and it’s been clear to see it’s working.
He and Gordon were proud of their troops after last week’s derby win over Macquarie and Ryan expects them to come out firing on Saturday.
“I haven’t seen them yet this year but they’ve won two in a row and that’s a good thing for them,” he said.
“Claude and ‘Nado’ are going well so they’ll be up for it.”
Ryan has been satisfied by his side’s start to the season with CYMS unbeaten and two points clear at the top.
The way new players like Nick Harvey, Jesse Wighton and Corey Drew have integrated themselves into the side has been the most pleasing thing for Ryan and his team has received a further boost with Wade Kavanagh to make his first appearance of the season this weekend.
Kavanagh was suspended following an ugly clash with Nyngan’s Reece Goldsmith late in last season’s grand final.
“He’s been training really well and he’s good to go,” he said.
“It’s been a long time for him so I know he’s excited.”
Matt Burton is also back in Dubbo following his SG Ball-winning exploits at Penrith and could feature more in first grade after coming off the bench late on last week.
“I’ll talk to him and Bernard (Wilson), the juniors coach, and see where they’re at and it would be good to get him a run,” Ryan said of the talented teenager.
“But the thing I’ve been most pleased about is how the new fellas have fit in. We lost about eight or nine from last year’s side and there’s four or five who have come in and done well and Bayden Searle has come up (from under 18s) is doing well too.”
Ryan expects a big crowd on hand on Saturday after seeing a strong CYMS contingent make the trip to Wellington last weekend.
Saturday’s derby action at Apex Oval starts with the league tag at 11am while the main game is scheduled to kick-off at 2.30pm.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
