Dubbo CYMS fullback Kieran Cubby-Shipp delivers on promise to run the ball early
Nick Guthrie - Daily L:iberal
There were times during the 2017 Group 11 season when CYMS fullback Kieran Cubby-Shipp was critical of his own game.
Whether it was his fitness levels or running game, the Fishies number one felt he wasn’t at his best in big moments.
Even heading into Sunday’s grand final against the Nyngan Tigers he wasn’t totally sold on his own performances this year.
But rather than be concerned, it only made him more determined to stamp his authority early.
And he certainly did that.
With his first touch of the match, inside three minutes, Cubby-Shipp found himself with some room to move 10m out from the Nyngan line.
Rather than spread it, Cubby-Shipp went himself, producing the kind of step and jinking run CYMS fans have become accustomed to before going over to open the scoring.
“I told myself before this game I need to run it more. I had been playing a bit of a half’s role and passing a lot so I decided first touch I was going to run it,” he said, his side going on to win 34-18.
“That’s all that was and I was lucky enough it came off.”
It was not long after that Cubby-Shipp went down with a severely corked thigh when trying in vain to stop Nyngan’s Brett Howard from scoring.
“It was tough. I didn’t think I’d make it through 20 minutes,” he said, then noticeably limping through the rest of the match.
Cubby-Shipp has now scored in each of the past four Group 11 grand finals.