PLAYING two of the top three sides in Group 10 premier league in consecutive weeks, just after hitting some form.

It doesn’t get much tougher for Orange Hawks, taking on the third-placed Blayney Bears tomorrow at Wade Park just a week after a heartbreaking local derby loss to the undefeated, competition-leading Orange CYMS.

Outside the two blues’ forwards, who face as stern a test as any in the Bears’ grizzling pack, no one on the field has as difficult a job as Hawks hooker-come-centre Mitch Hurford.

Hurford, a mainstay at dummy-half for the two blues in recent seasons, is set to line up against Blayney, and former Western Division, three-quarter Josh Rainbow.

“He’s a big fella too, so I’ll have to do my best to chop him down all game,” Hurford said.

“That’s the main thing for me when I’m playing centre, being strong in defence.”

The 24-year-old was forced to move into the centres after injuries plagued the two blues earlier in the season, and Hurford said more than anything the shift brought on a wealth of nostalgia.

“I feel like I’m 16 again,” Hurford laughed.

“It was different to start with but I’m enjoying it, I played a lot in the centres when I was younger so I didn’t go in blind.”

The seventh-placed Hawks’ casualty ward hasn’t cleared out yet either, with captain-coach Brock McGarity still sidelined along with big men Arty Shead and Sam Coyte, and second-rower Lawrence Fogg.

Keegan Harding is also set to miss up to a month after suffering nerve damage in his shoulder in last weekend’s local derby.

Gun under 18 pivot Brodie Christopherson will make his premier league debut at halfback as a result.

“It’s a bit of a pity Foggy (Lawrence Fogg) is out, we were developing a nice little combination on the edge,” Hurford said.

“I think Brodders (player-co-coach Jared Brodrick) will come out onto my side, so I’m confident he’ll get me a bit of space.”

While confident, Hurford said the chance of his side producing an upset win comes down to one huge factor - nullifying Blayney’s big men.

“They’re big up front, so stopping them rolling through the middle is the big thing,” he said.

“We’ve had no trouble going forward this year, it’s just about stopping Blayney from going forward.”

Hawks lock horns with Blayney from 2pm.

ORANGE HAWKS: 1 Cody Robbins, 2 Jedd Kennedy, 3 Lachlan Harris, 4 Mitch Hurford, 5 Jason Gangaram, 6 Wise Kativerata, 7 Brodie Christopherson, 8 Mitch Davis, 9 Matt Boss, 10 Villiamme Turragga, 11 Jared Brodrick, 12 Todd Morrissey, 13 Deryne McKenzie.