Orange CYMS' Group 10 premier league win over Oberon was an important one on Sunday but it took a back seat at Wade Park in a way, with the speculation of former NRL superstar-in-waiting Damon Goolagong's impending arrival sparking plenty of buzz.
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CYMS player-coach Dom Maley confirmed that speculation too following his side's 52-12 win too, saying the Wentworthville centre has signed for the remainder of 2019.
As it stands he could make his debut for the green and golds as early as next weekend against reigning premiers Bathurst Panthers.
Back to full strength and now sitting inside the top four after a hot-and-cold start to the season, the addition of a player once labelled 'the next Greg Inglis' could be exactly the spark the green and golds need to make a genuine run at the 2019 title.
It's an exciting prospect ... having that injection of a young player like him would be great for us.
- CYMS player-coach Dom Maley
"I was kind of hoping to keep that one a secret," Maley laughed.
"It's an exciting prospect, for sure, and we're lucky we've got the link to him through (five-eighth) Steve Morris, who's his brother-in-law. Obviously that clearance is still pending at the moment but I don't think there'd be any issue, we got in before June 30."
Maley didn't get too carried away with building the hype up surrounding CYMS' Condobolin-born recruit, considering that tag was handed to him several years ago prior to a horror run of knee injuries he suffered during his time with South Sydney.
Goolagong set the National Youth Competition alight in 2015 and after re-signing with Souths for two more years he was touted as one of the Rabbitohs' brightest young prospects and a first grade candidate, but missed that season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the opening round of 2016.
After months of rehab and recovery he was ready to make a push for an NRL debut in 2017, but devastatingly suffered the same injury again early in the pre-season.
He's fully fit now though and has been strong throughout Wentworthville's 2019 Canterbury Cup campaign, and Maley said he's excited to see what Goolagong - nephew of Evonne and cousin of Orange Emus' Tom - can do, assuming his clearance is approved.
"We certainly don't want to put too much pressure on him and we'll do whatever's best for the team in terms of where he fits in," Maley said of Goolagong, who plied his trade in Dubbo through juniors before linking with Wyong.
"I mean, if he plays at the level he has been [in Sydney] then I certainly think he'll be slotting in somewhere and looking at it there's guys like myself and [Ben McAlpine], our legs are getting older so having that injection of a young player like him would be great for us."
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
