A merciless Orange CYMS cut Lithgow Workies to shreds at Wade Park on Sunday, not once taking their foot off the gas and recording a gargantuan, 76-point Group 10 premier league victory.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Although Lithgow looked likely to compete in the opening exchanges, it became far too easy for the green and golds once they opened the scoring in the seventh minute.
CYMS proceeded to run in 13 more tries after that to win 84-8.
Fullback Ben McAlpine accounted for almost half of those points on his own, scoring a hat-trick and nailing 14 goals from as many attempts to finish with an incredible individual haul of 40 points.
The victory is CYMS’ seventh on the trot, they’re yet to seriously look like dropping a game.
“We did set a goal at the start of the year to try and … set a good platform to build on into our tough start to the second half of the season and we’ve certainly done that,” Rob Mortimer, who grabbed a double, said after the win.
“If we can win against Blayney next weekend we’ll have a perfect first round, which we’d like, but it won’t be anything to get too excited about considering how tough our start to the second half of the year is.”
Mortimer admitted his side won’t be able to take too much away from that kind of win, although he did credit Lithgow for “sticking at it for 80 minutes”.
“Not a whole lot I guess, I think the biggest thing we’ll take other than the two points is that the younger guys got plenty of game time and a bit more experience.
“Guys like Joe Duffy, Craig Tarr, they’ve been outstanding in their roles and it was great to see them get some more minutes and play some really good footy.”
Along with McAlpine’s hat-trick and Mortimer’s double, hooker Ryan Griffin scored a treble while Luke Petrie, Kurt Beahan, Bronx Goodwin, Chris Bamford, Joe Lasagavibau and Tarr all found the line as well.
McAlpine scored the first in the sixth minute on the back of a Tom Satterthwaite line break. That became a trend throughout the game, the hulking winger found space for fun.
He, along with Goodwin, Griffin and Bamford were unbelievable in the win.
Goodwin, substantially fitter than when he joined the club, was simply spectacular.
“Bronx was just brilliant. Not just what he did with the ball, but his talk out in the centres has been great all year and he’s brought plenty to this side,” Mortimer said.
“Rabs was really good too, I actually think Luke Petrie has been outstanding this season too. He and young Lachie Munro are learning plenty from (captain-coach) Mick (Sullivan) and they’re getting better every week.”
Petrie scored the second of CYMS’ tries in the 14th minute. After some breathtaking lead-up work from Goodwin and then Joe Lasagavibau, holes opened up everywhere and Petrie strolled through the biggest one to score.
Then an outstanding Brock McGarity offload allowed Lasagavibau to put Beahan over for the easiest of tries for a winger.
Sullivan imposed himself not long after, taking on the line and producing an obscene flick pass to set up Goodwin.
Bamford went over two minutes later and McAlpine’s kick made it 30-0, before Sullivan was forced from the field with a calf injury.
“He felt it go pretty early and obviously had to come off, I think he’s a bit worried about it actually,” Mortimer said.
“Hopefully it’s not too serious but we’re lucky we have plenty of depth. Lachie Munro came on and did a great job.”
Lithgow scored next, through Ben Picman, but CYMS were unstoppable, running in another 54 points in the final 50 minutes.
In the beaten side, Chris Rhodes and Corey Willmott were the strongest. The former was rewarded for his tireless effort with a four-pointer in the 71st minute.
ORANGE CYMS 84 (Ben McAlpine 3, Ryan Griffin 3, Rob Mortimer 2, Luke Petrie, Kurt Beahan, Bronx Goodwin, Chris Bamford, Joe Lasagavibau, Craig Tarr tries; McAlpine 14 goals) def LITHGOW WORKIES 8 (Ben Picman, Chris Rhodes tries)