St Pat’s pulled off the biggest story of the 2016 season in any competition CRL wide when they signed former Australian and New South Wales prop Mark O'Meley to make a one-off appearance for the blue and white club this Saturday.

As it turns out, both St Pat’s and their opposition on the day Blayney need to win – the former to keep touch with the top three while the latter must chalk up a victory if we’re to see the Bears play finals at all this winter.

In that regard, the clash on its own merits is a huge one with enough billing to make it the easily the game of the round this weekend. People will flock to it.

Throw in O’Meley – all 291 first grade games accumulated in both the NRL and English Super League, 10 State of Origin games, 15 Test matches for Australia and enough deep heat for every bald man in Bathurst  – and the interest surrounding the clash rockets into a stratosphere well beyond that a grand final normally would generate.

It’s a stunning coup, the St Pat’s club should be applauded.

As should the Bears – they’re embracing it as their own and view the chance to take on one of the toughest props of the modern era as an opportunity more than anything. So they should.

Last year I watched an 18-year-old Deryne McKenzie floor much bigger men when he made the step up to Group 10 premier league. He’s the anti-O’Meley with all that hair, but the Blayney backrower’s clash with the former NRL enforcer will be one to watch.

That’s one of many draw cards for Saturday’s Bathurst event – that’s right, event.

CYMS performed a similar recruitment when Matt King came to Orange for a round one derby with Hawks.

That day in 2014, he was the best player on the field. By a long way too. The thousands who streamed through the gates at Wade Park to witness it will tell you the same thing.

O’Meley is still only 35, so expect the gun prop to have plenty of impact for Kurt Hancock’s side when he enters the Bathurst Sportsground off the bench on Saturday. Don’t miss it.