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It’s a saying seemingly as old as time but it could not have been more apt on Saturday when the Guildford Owls and Dubbo CYMS ran out on to Apex Oval to warm-up prior to the NSW Challenge Cup Final.
Guildford, led by former Parramatta Eels forward Taniela Lasalo, was an imposing sight.
The likes of Lasalo, Caleb Hunt and Jolian King were mountainous while the backline was also far more physically daunting than the Fishies’.
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But, matches aren’t won in the warm-up, and a fit and firing CYMS outfit dominated Saturday’s clash and a 62-18 win confirmed the Fishies’ standing as the best club side in the state.
The CYMS players put thier body on the line time time again, but few as often as halves Alex Bonham and Bayden Searle.
Both were instrumental in attack but the duo also never backed down from any defensive work.
Bonham, in particular, threw himself into the Guildford defence time and time again.
And if the defence was inspiring, their work in attack was scintillating.
The kicking game of each, ably supported by Brad Pickering, put Guildford on the back foot time and time again, turning the defence around and forcing dropouts.
“They controlled things in a great way and led us around,” coach Tim Ryan said.
“We needed them to continue to go well and they were very good for us.”
Searle was handed the responsibility of the number seven shirt this season and has got better with every game.
It says a lot of the teenager’s talents that Alex Bonham, a multiple Group 11 premiership winner and Western Rams representative, has taken a back seat at time to allow Searle to lead the side around the park.
It’s worked too, with CYMS standing as NSW Challenge Cup champions and undefeated leaders of Group 11 on Saturday night.
“It’s great to get a win in a big competition like this,” Searle said on Saturday afternoon, before speaking about his season.
“It’s going great. It’s a great bunch of blokes and it’s easy to fit in there and there’s a great vibe around.”
Searle also had plenty of praise for Ryan, with the Challenge Cup win another feather in the cap of someone who is now undoubtedly one of the top minds in bush footy.
“He’s a great coach and makes it 10 times easier out there,” Searle said.
“It’s easy to run around when you’ve got such a refined game plan.”
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.
