ACROSS any grade this year you'll struggle to find a bigger rugby league contest than this Saturday's clash between the unbeaten St Pat's and Orange CYMS league tag sides at Jack Arrow Sporting Complex.
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The two teams have shown they are a clear rung above the rest of the Western League Tag Premiership pack in 2023, and when it comes to who reigns supreme between themselves we're still waiting to find out the answer.
When they previously came together in May they couldn't be split in an 18-all draw.
With the abundant quality among each squad it's not surprise that Pat's and CYMS made up more than half of this year's Group 10 representative side, and it'll be those star players that each team will turn to in this game in order to maintain their unbeaten streaks.
![Mish Somers, Hannah Kelly, Meredith Jones and Ebony O'Neill are keen to take on Orange CYMS this Saturday. Picture by James Arrow. Mish Somers, Hannah Kelly, Meredith Jones and Ebony O'Neill are keen to take on Orange CYMS this Saturday. Picture by James Arrow.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/YpbCWLfGAstDHC22gJwdbm/fc43bb65-4c49-43f4-9425-3e72da133a97.jpg/r0_175_6061_3596_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The draw at Wade Park was a message from CYMS that they had truly arrived as a serious threat to the Saints' long-standing dominance of the Group 10 division.
Saints skipper Mish Somers said it's a contest everyone's been counting down the days towards.
"There's a bit of a rivalry going there with the CYMS side. They've come a long way in the last few years. This should be a good game on Saturday," she said.
"It was a really close game against them last time. They started really well and we came out a bit slow, and the girls were able to rally and share the points. We need to be on from the first whistle this weekend.
"They're a fast, young side so our defence has to be at 100 per cent or they're going to get the better of us."
Somehow St Pat's keep finding ways to exceed their already high league tag expectations.
The six-time Group 10 premiership winning club have racked up 416 points at the cost of just 32 through nine games this season.
More than half of those 32 points came in the previous game against CYMS.
Saints come into this game off a 30-6 victory over Dubbo Macquarie - the six-try effort being one of the team's quieter offensive performances this season.
As Pat's work towards trying to win a fifth straight premiership (when including Group 10 titles) Somers said it remains important as ever for the team to never get ahead themselves.
"You never have time to relax. Every team wants to beat you. You've got to be at your best, week in and week out.
"CYMS have a young group who have come together playing a lot of footy together, and they're played a lot of touch footy as well. They control the ball and move it quickly across the park.
"You add the Prestwidge girls into that team and it just makes them all the more dangerous."
The league tag clash starts the day's action at Jack Arrow Sporting Complex from 12pm.
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