Minor premiership guaranteed, the club celebrating its Indigenous round, and a bumper crowd rolling in for Fishpond sponsors day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Saturday’s Group 11 derby seems like a pretty perfect occasion for Dubbo CYMS.
But the Macquarie Raiders are out to spoil the party at Apex Oval and score an upset win which will all but confirm finals football for the men in sky blue.
RELATED:
Macquarie coach Dylan Hill wants his side to build on its impressive win over Nyngan last time out and a win over the undefeated competition leaders and fierce rivals would be the perfect thing to boost confidence further.
To do that, Hill wants his side’s big men to lead the way.
“It comes down to the forwards,” Hill said.
“CYMS hasn’t got the biggest pack but they are mobile and they do work for each other. But if we can bash them a bit in the middle then our backs can work off that.
“We’ve got a lot of points in us but our forwards need to aim up in defence.”
Being a derby clash against the undefeated Fishies, Hill added there is very little motivating he needs to do.
Hearing a bigger opposition forward pack is fired up to take his side on is something CYMS coach Tim Ryan has heard all before.
For years many sides have attempted to muscle up against the Fishies pack and as CYMS’ record in recent seasons shows, they’ve been up for every challenge.
“We have got a smaller pack but they’ve got a great attitude and they want to play for each other,” Ryan said of his side.
“We’ve just got to get better. This time last year we lost these last two games at Nyngan and Forbes so we need to keep getting better and we’ve got no excuses now.
“We’ve got some blokes coming back and they’re fresh so hopefully they give us a bit of an injection.”
Alex Bonham is a chance to return on Saturday and the same goes for Billy Sing, who hasn’t featured for CYMS since round one.
Back-rower Jordan Reynolds is also back in training but is no guarantee to take his place in the lineup.
No matter the side Ryan puts on the field, his troops will start favourites as CYMS has only lost once to the Raiders since 2012.
“It comes down to preparation and mindset,” Hill said.
“We need to be positive and have that belief.
“CYMS has been the pinnacle of the competition but I still belive my team has a lot to offer and I don’t think we’ve seen the best of our side yet.”
All four CYMS sides will wear special one-off Indigenous-themed jerseys honouring the men and women who have been a part of the club on Saturday.
It is also the club’s annual Fishpond sponsor’s day.
The action at Apex Oval starts with the league tag at 11am.
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.
