The Mudgee Dragons are building to something again, that’s what Orange CYMS captain-coach Mick Sullivan said right after his side took down the defending Group 10 premier league champions on Sunday afternoon.
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What that something is though, Sullivan can’t put his finger on.
CYMS’ mentor – who scored a hat-trick in the side’s 40-14 victory on the weekend – said while he can feel a late-season assault coming from the Dragons, Mudgee’s build up to the finals doesn’t quite have the same sense of danger it did last year.
In 2016 the Dragons put the competition on notice in the final rounds of the regular season before running rampant in the finals and going on to, incredibly, win the title from fifth.
“I don’t really feel the momentum, I do feel like it is building for Mudgee but it doesn’t feel the same as it did last year. I’m certainly hoping it’s not the same as last year,” Sullivan smiled, alluding to the Dragons’ 14-10 upset of his side in the 2016 grand final.
The Dragons side that ran out on Sunday, and was superb in the opening 20 minutes, did have a somewhat different look to the one that stunned CYMS in that decider.
Seven of the title-winning side were missing, although the match-winner that day in Rota Setu has been replaced by the just-as-dangerous Corin Smith.
The big omission is Jack Afamasaga, who flourished in the disgraceful conditions at Wade Park that afternoon.
“Jack hasn’t been out there and the boys were saying he hasn’t played many games,” Sullivan said, in fact Afamasaga’s only played one in 2017.
“We know how much he can lift, it’s massive and he brings a team up around him, but not having any games under his belt I don’t think he’d have that same impact (if he was to come back prior to finals).”
After his side’s win on Sunday it looks likely that, unless the Dragons mount another remarkable run, CYMS may well avoid facing the red V in the finals anyway.
Mudgee dropped back to fourth with the loss, one win behind Oberon, although the Dragons do have one of the easier runs home and could move back up the standings.
They play Blayney this weekend before a blockbuster against Bathurst Panthers, and a final round showdown with Lithgow.
Workies might have to win that last game to make the five, which would make that a supremely dangerous game.