Dubbo CYMS captain Cooper Ferrari could only thank Latrell Fing for wearing green and white and not the blue of the Macquarie Raiders after Sunday's under 18s derby at Apex Oval.
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Fing was electric throughout the 60 minutes and fittingly scored his side's final try in brilliant fashion to ice a 46-12 victory over their biggest rivals.
After already scoring one try earlier in the match and having been in almost involved in almost all of his side's best moments, Fing got CYMS supporters up on their feet in the final minute of the match.
Receiving the ball on his own side of halfway, the halfback put up a bomb that held up in the strong breeze slightly. That gave him time to race through and nab the ball from two on-rushing Raiders, before sprinting away and getting himself across the try-line despite some desperate defence.
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Fing also booted seven of eight conversions, an impressive effort given the windy conditions.
"He's a freak," CYMS captain and Western representative Ferrari said at full-time.
"It's lucky he's on my side because I'd hate to play against him."
While Fing was a standout, there was plenty to like about CYMS' performance all over the park.
The youngsters in green and white have enjoyed a strong start to the season - they had only lost once in seven rounds prior to Sunday - but there had been some patchy and inconsistent performances.
They put it all together on Sunday and Ferrari said the occasion provided a huge amount of motivation.
As well as it being a derby, it was a retro round for CYMS and the under 18s wore jerseys inspired by the one the 1979 first grade side coached by the late Tom Nelson wore.
The under 18s players were told about what it meant to play for CYMS and what the retro jersey represented, and that provided plenty of inspiration as the the youngsters raced out to a 24-4 half-time lead against the Raiders.
"It's unreal. It's a big build-up and it's retro round as well. It's nice to get the win and play some good footy," Ferrari said.
"It's a really special day for the club.
"That's one of our better games. We put what we do on the training paddock out here on the field and it's a really good day to do that."
Ferrari was another of his side's best, performing a ball-playing role at lock similar to the one fellow CYMS junior Isaah Yeo now produces regularly for Penrith in the NRL.
Jacob Wilson was a constant threat from dummyhalf, as was Rhys O'Neil when he came off the bench, while Josh Townsend complemented Fing perfectly in the halves.
The win for CYMS moved them into a share of top spot with three other sides.
In what is already a gripping competition, Nyngan, Cowra, CYMS, and Bathurst Panthers are all on 14 points while the Raiders and Forbes are on 12.
"It's a hard comp and there's been about five or six teams on 12 points so it's good to get this win and break that up a bit," Ferrari added.
CYMS will enjoy the general bye for the long weekend before returning to the field for a meeting with the Wellington Cowboys.
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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.
