The Hunter River Times

BY ALEX TIGANI

There is no gloating from Adam Clydsdale when he leads his side to victory each week.

The Scone Thoroughbreds’ playing coach is only one match away from entering the Group 21 finals with a 15-0 winning record and is the front runner for this year’s first grade player of the year award.

His line-up has already celebrated two convincing wins (44-14 and 52-16) over the second placed Denman Devils, who they will play this Saturday and then in the following week’s qualifying final.

Even sidelined Greta Branxton Colts first grade coach Brady Hammond has conceded the Thoroughbreds are “head and shoulders above the rest of everyone else” as he watched his side suffer a 54-6 defeat at Scone Park on Sunday afternoon.

Yet Clydsdale admits there’s no specific winning formula.

“I think most of us boys, probably 95%, are local and we all love playing for this town,” Clydsdale told The Hunter River Times.

“There’s no money in this club, we all just love playing for Scone.”

Clydsdale, 29, played a total of 57 NRL games in his three-club career with the Newcastle Knights, Canberra Raiders and Cronulla Sharks.

He then returned to claim man of the match honours in the 2019 Group 21 first grade grand final when the Thoroughbreds’ annihilated the Aberdeen Tigers 40-6 before a strong home crowd.

Now opposing coaches Matt Hay (Aberdeen Tigers), Mark Newman (Singleton Greyhounds), Jayden Rosberg (Muswellbrook Rams) and Brady Hammond (Greta Branxton Colts) have pencilled him in for this season’s player of the year crown.

Nevertheless, his focus remains on team success.

“My first one (premiership) back in Scone was pretty special but I am playing with my two brothers now and they weren’t here in 2019,” he reflected.

“It would be special to win this one with them and my Pop (Don ‘Bandy’ Adams) was here in 2019 and he has passed away since so it will be pretty special.”

Former Scone Brumbies star Caleb Taylor also hopes to join the Thoroughbred’s long list of first grade premiership winners after returning from three years at Rugby Park.

Clydsdale believes the 23-year-old should also be in the player of the year discussion.

“I am just trying to receive praise like that as humbly as I can, I am just enjoying these wins as they come,” Taylor added.

“I’ve never learnt as much as you do with him (Clydsdale), the way he guides us around the park is something else.”

MEANWHILE the Muswellbrook Rams and Greta Branxton Colts will also playoff this Sunday only to meet again in the following week’s elimination final.

The Aberdeen Tigers will also playoff against the Singleton Greyhounds this Sunday in what is tipped to be the game of the round.

After memorable grand final clashes in 1948, 1949, 1989, 1990, 1991 and 2007, the two archrivals will now play off for the wooden spoon.