The Orange Hawks have put a slow start to their 2023 campaign behind them, winning four of their last five Peter McDonald Premiership (PMP) games to move to third place on the Group 10 ladder.
In recent weeks, the PMP has hosted back-to-back crossover matches between Group 10 and 11 outfits, and Orange landed two vital wins at home, knocking off Wellington Cowboys 36-20 in Round Eight before Sunday’s thrilling Round Nine 24-22 win over reigning premiers, Forbes. (Photo courtesy of Orange Hawks)
In a ‘gruelling’ affair, Orange had to hold on against a Magpies side playing for their season, and hard-working lock-forward Matthew Boss led by example after scoring a double for the Hawks.
In the end, the consistent boot of custodian Ryan Manning, who also scored a try, sealed the two-point win, with the fullback converting four-from-four and scoring 12 points in the critical crossover victory.
“That win against Forbes was very tough, and when you look into the stats and how the match was played, it was gruelling,” Orange skipper Alex Prout said.
“Forbes has not been travelling that well this season, but they had a lot to play for to keep their season alive, and they threw everything at us.”
While the Hawks are winning games, Prout believes his side needs to find another gear with finals quickly approaching.
“For us, we had a slow start, but we had a few new players from last year, so it was a bit steady early on,” Prout said.
“Still, we’ve always been confident in our ability and improved as we have played more games, but I wouldn’t say that any of our wins have been convincing.
“We fade in and out of games, and there is a lot of improvement to make if we want to be considered one of the competition’s best teams.”
In terms of what his side can do better, Prout said it was a matter of a young group building on what is a good base.
“We just need to be more focused on ourselves and work towards a high competition rate, which is a massive thing in country footy,” Prout said.
“We’ve got quite a young side, so being patient is something we are working on to earn the right play footy, and hopefully the points come.
“If we can do that and control the things we can control, hopefully, at the end of any game we play, we are still in the position to win.”
While Mudgee Dragons and Dubbo CYMS lead the Group 10 and 11 competitions, respectively, Prout is adamant that any of the 12 sides can beat any team on their day, making it a challenging competition to pick.
“It’s been quite a hard season to gauge, with the competition so even, and realistically, it’s whoever turns up on the day,” Prout said.
“Wellington came out and smashed Panthers on the weekend, and the week before, we beat them.
“There’s no easy game, well, not like last season, and we need to be switched heading into the final few rounds.”
Playing at Wade Park on Sunday, Orange hosts the fourth-placed Bathurst Panthers in a crucial game, with the Hawks aiming to give themselves a two-game buffer on Group 10 rivals below them on the ladder which will help their chances of a top-four or top-two finish.
“It’s an important game because when we played them over there, we only just got up, and they have been up and down, but they have beaten teams we haven’t, and we haven’t beaten teams they have, so we really need to win this one,” Prout said.
“We then have Lithgow next week on the road, and then some tough games to finish the season with Mudgee, (Orange) CYMS in the local derby, and (Bathurst) St Pat’s.
“Realistically, we can’t afford to lose a game, and every game is must-win for us because second or third is a realistic option, and finishing second means we get two bites at the cherry.”
With the PMP competition heating up, Round Nine did see some exciting results, with Orange CYMS winning their first game of the season over Nyngan Tigers 30-28, while Dubbo CYMS travelled to Mudgee and beat the Dragons 18-12 in their table-topping clash.
Macquarie Raiders kept their good run going, knocking off Bathurst St Pat’s 41-26, Wellington Cowboys accounted for Bathurst Panthers 42-12, and Parkes Spacemen defeated Lithgow Wolves 42-6.
PMP Round 10 draw (July 8): Bathurst St Pat’s v Orange CYMS at Jack Arrow Sporting Complex, Lithgow Wolves v Mudgee Dragons at Tony Luchetti Sportsground; July 9: Dubbo CYMS v Macquarie Raiders at Apex Oval, Forbes Magpies v Nyngan Tigers at Spooner Oval, Orange Hawks v Bathurst Panthers at Wade Park, Wellington Cowboys v Parkes Spacemen at Wellington.
Group 10 ladder: Mudgee Dragons 14, Bathurst St Pat’s 10, Orange Hawks 10, Bathurst Panthers 8, Lithgow Wolves 4, Orange CYMS 2.
Group 11 ladder: Dubbo CYMS 16, Parkes Spacemen 14, Wellington Cowboys 10, Nyngan Tigers 8, Macquarie Raiders 7, Forbes Magpies 5.
