SEVERAL CSU Mungoes men have one last chance to end this year’s New Era Cup action on a high during this Saturday’s inaugural All Stars fixture at Carrington Park.
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The Bathurst men may have gone down to the Blackheath Blackcats in last Saturday’s New Era Cup grand final but five CSU players get the chance to win a consolation prize.
Billy Dickinson, Brad Rushby, Oscar Thorburn, Sam Groom and Josh Byron will line up for the Western team alongside regular Orange Barbarians and Portland Colts players.
Their Eastern opponents will consist of Kandos Waratahs, Lithgow Bears and Blackcats.
Todd Pattison (head) and Izaac Scott (shoulder) were named in the initial Western team but due to injuries they picked up in the grand final they won’t take to the field.
Mungoes mentor Riley Scelly has been named coach for the Western team while Blackheath’s key man this season, Matt Ranse, will have coaching reins of the Eastern side.
CSU hooker and captain Rushby said it will be a fun experience to play alongside new faces.
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“I think everyone’s keen to play along with the boys from Portland and Orange,” he said.
“We’ll get to know each other and hopefully put on a good performance against the Eastern boys.”
Blackheath proved far too good in the New Era Cup grand final last Saturday, triumphing 50-20, but Rushby and the CSU boys are still determined to try and end the year of rugby league on a high note.
“I think this game is really good because this shows there’s a lot of players in our comp who could, or should, be playing in the Group 10 comp, whether it be reserve grade or first grade,” Rushby said.
“It’ll be a great chance to show off the skill level in the competition. It’ll be a great contest.”
Each team boasts two clubs who made semi-finals which makes for, what on paper, looks to be an even contest.
Rushby believes that will be the case.
“I think both teams are really even. Obviously Blackheath were the team to beat and had an unbelievable team this year. They’ll have Kandos who made semi-finals,” he said.
“There’s us and Orange, with Portland who only just missed out. Lithgow Bears have a handful of good players despite the way their season went so it should be a really even contest, and same for the ladies game as well.”
The men’s game starts from 4.30pm while the women’s league tag game starts the action from 2.30pm.
