That didn’t happen.

CYMS were already leading 18-4 at that point and, if anything, shifted up a gear as the conditions worsened, ultimately securing a 30-12 win and with it hosting rights for the grand final in a fortnight – the third time in as many seasons.

“Hopefully it’s a bit warmer for the big day,” CYMS captain-coach Mick Sullivan laughed.

“It’s just a great effort from the boys, we’re a pretty young squad too so I couldn’t be happier for them and the club.”

Sullivan and halves partner Luke Petrie orchestrated the victory – the latter an obvious choice for player of the game – as CYMS shot to a two-try lead early, not taking their foot off the gas at all after that.

Although it was a comfortable win on the scoreboard it wasn’t a cakewalk, the desperate Tigers threw everything at CYMS and the Orange side was forced to produce a massive defensive performance to hold them out.

It did, continually, that desperation lasting until the full-time whistle as CYMS finished the game by bundling Oberon winger Matt Ballinger into touch close to their line.

“Peckers (Petrie) was outstanding and I was really pleased with that effort defensively late in the game, we’ll take a lot of confidence from that,” Sullivan said.

“The boys stepped it up defensively, but we did have a bit of added motivation after [Oberon] said we were a bit soft in the middle.”

It only took CYMS six minutes to open the scoring, Petrie throwing a stunning double cut-out ball to hand Lachie Munro a try on a silver platter.

They went in again in the 10^th minute when Ben McAlpine latched onto a deft Sullivan grubber.

Tui Oloapu scored for Oberon 12 minutes later to slash the gap to 12-4, but from there it was one-way traffic.

Ryan Griffin dived over from dummy-half 13 out from half-time, McAlpine kicking his third conversion and extending CYMS’ lead to two converted tries again.

The scoreline didn’t change until after the half-time break, and although CYMS had lost Cam Jones and Tim Mortimer to injury it didn’t slow the green and golds down.

With Oberon beginning to chase points hard by throwing the ball around in search of a spark – at times, to their detriment – CYMS kept the pressure on, Petrie forcing a couple of drop-outs just after the break.

Oberon kicked short from one of those and it didn’t go 10 metres, Chris Bamford reaping the reward and barging over from short range as a result.

Oloapu set up Abel Lefaoseu just three minutes later to keep the slim hope of a miracle comeback alive, but Sam Hill’s 64^th minute four-pointer put paid to that.

It was a stunning passage of play that lead to it as well.

Sullivan chipped over the line before Petrie regathered, twisted, turned and somehow found Hill with an excellent offload, the replacement hooker going 20 metres untouched to score.

On the back of four consecutive penalties on CYMS’ line Oberon captain-coach Luke Branighan barged over 10 out from full-time, but it was merely a consolation.

A 35-metre McAlpine penalty goal in the 75^th minute iced CYMS’ victory.

“I think that’s the best we’ve completed all year and it really showed, we controlled things really well, we didn’t panic,” Sullivan said.

“Brano (Branighan) has that control too but once they were down quite a bit they started to push things a bit, that does happen though. That’s scoreboard pressure.”

Branighan agreed.

“You know, we might have panicked a little bit in the second half, to chase points, but that’s what happens when you get behind by that much that early,” he said.

“We didn’t hold the ball and when we did it have it we couldn’t get any momentum. Our completions, God knows what they were. 

“The few chances we had we bombed and the best sides finish those, we dropped too much ball and it got to 18-4 and then the rain came. I think it was game over then.”

The severity of Jones and Mortimer’s injuries weren’t clear at full-time.