Cover Photo: Rodders Photos

By Tallon Smith

The Orange CYMS have secured the bragging rights in the 2800 postcode for another year with a 34-22 win over Orange Hawks in the season’s second derby at Wade Park on Sunday.

The CYMS ran in six tries to the Hawks’ four in a typically physical local clash, with the win keeping the boys in green and gold in equal second place on the Peter McDonald Premiership ladder alongside Parkes and Dubbo CYMS on 16 points.

“A lot of the local guys at the start of the year they talk about the two derbies, they circle that one, [and] the whole town all week sort of gets around it,” he said.

“There’s a lot of feeling in the town and both teams, it doesn’t matter where both teams are placed, [the] Hawks are outside of the eight at the moment but last year it was CYMS outside of the eight and [they’re] still really tough battles.

“If you can get away with the two points on those days it’s much appreciated for sure.”

Speaking on the grand occasion that is the derby, Buchanan said that the big crowd and the feeling on the day lifts the players’ performance just that little bit.

“Obviously, normally, your crowds sort of don’t start rolling in until Reserve Grade, First Grade, but on derby days, they’re there from the [League Tag] early on in the morning and they hang around all day,” he said. 

“Hawks-CYMS I reckon [is] the biggest supporter day and the loudest day for the Hawks and CYMS.

“On the field there’s a lot of feeling, and I don’t know why, but I reckon there’s probably another 10-15% given by both sides and the players in [them] just for the bragging rights.”

The CYMS side put in another impressive performance across the board in Sunday’s win, with Buchanan able to single out a couple of players who were key to the victory.

“Patty Williams was really good, our number six,” he said.

“Outside him, Ethan McKellar, he was huge and he’s actually an old Orange Hawks player, so maybe there’s a little bit more in it for him, playing against a lot of his best mates over there. 

“Those two guys were huge on our left edge, and then you [had] Dylan Kelly in the middle playing lock, and Ryan Griffin, who were also outstanding.”

As for the CYMS’ hopes in the competition, Buchanan said the PMP is still a wide open race, with 10 of the 12 teams still in finals contention.

“It’s a really really tight comp this year, everyone from first through to maybe 9th or 10th can make the [top] eight and be competitive,” he said.

“We lost to Wellington who were 9th two weeks ago, so it’s a really tight comp and we’ve got a really tough run into the finals. 

“We’ve got Mudgee, [who] are first, Dubbo CYMS, who are on the same point as us, St Pats who are eighth, and then Bathurst Panthers who are two points behind us.

“It’s a tough run into the finals, but it’s probably one that I prefer, because to be the best you’ve got to beat the best and you’ve got to know where you are when you’re rolling to the finals. 

“So I’m really looking forward to the next four weeks after the bye this week, and then once you get in the finals, as the old saying goes, it’s a completely new ball game.”

In other games over the weekend, which saw a split round where only Group 10 sides played, Mudgee Dragons beat Bathurst Panthers in a high-scoring encounter 36-32, while Bathurst St Pats needed a 79th minute field goal to halfback Noah Griffiths to defeat Lithgow 17-16.

This coming weekend sees the Group 11 clubs play their half of Round 11, with Parkes taking on Nyngan, Wellington hosting Dubbo CYMS, and Dubbo Macquarie tackling Forbes, with full rounds of football to resume the following weekend.