Jyie Chapman ponders retirement after Dubbo CYMS' grand final win

If Sunday proves to be the last game for Jyie Chapman, he played it in just the way you would expect the CYMS stalwart to.

While not confirmed, Chapman and a number of his teammates hinted retirement could now be on the cards for the representative centre after he helped the Fishies win a fourth premiership in the past 10 years.

The 31-year-old was in the thick of the action throughout Sunday's 25-12 grand final win over Mudgee and, much to the surprise of even those closest to him, there were a few tears at the final whistle.

"I was lucky to shed a tear at my wedding. My wife says I'm pretty emotionless," he laughed.

"But I shed a few tears then. I saw my boys, I saw my wife and they've all been through it my entire career.

"Brooke (my wife) has ridden the wave with me. She's put up with all my shit and I can't thank her enough.

"To be here with my boys and the boys I play with, it's a special club and I love it.

"This might be it. This might be the last dance so I'm pretty emotional."

Jake Durrant, Nathan Orr and Lleyton Lothian on the left edge for Mudgee were all targeted by Chapman throughout the grand final.

He was all too keen to let them know about an error while, like so many other times throughout the years, Chapman then received plenty of comments in return from the large contingent of Dragons fans at Apex Oval.

"I don't have too many fans on the sideline," he smiled.

"That's Group 11 and I think Group 10 now too. But it's just passion.

"There's no grubbiness, I'm just passionate and I just like to talk a bit of trash.

"It's a mental game, football, as well as physical. If I can put the boys off their game then I'll do my best.

"I'm happy to take a beating but there's nothing in it. It's just football at the end of the day."

Chapman's own teammates were also on the receiving end at times.

Midway through the second half Mudgee dragged the score back to 24-8 after Durrant went through a gap between Chapman and five-eighth Claude Gordon.

Chapman aired his frustrations with Gordon, who simply gave him a hug in reply and that moment was just one example of the desire the CYMS centre has played with throughout his career.

Having joined CYMS from crosstown rivals Macquarie midway through the 2012 season, Chapman quickly made one of the first grade centre positions his own.

After losing the 2013 grand final to Parkes, Chapman enjoyed a stellar 2014 season and was named Group 11 Player of the Year while he also scored an outstanding individual try in the grand final win over the Spacemen.

The Fishies backed it up and won the 2015 title before downing Nyngan in the 2017 decider.

There's been more pain that joy when it came to grand finals in recent times, with CYMS having lost deciders in 2018, 2019 and 2022.

"A lot of people doubted us and said the wheels are falling off," Chapman said after their return to glory on Sunday.

"We're too old, we've lost too many but we're here and we've done it and I can't thank the boys enough and there's not a better bunch of boys to play with.

"I'm emotional. I saw my three boys and it's just unbelievable."

The high standard of play produced from both sides on Sunday made the victory all the sweeter for CYMS.

While Forbes won the inaugural Peter McDonald Premiership grand final last year, CYMS and Mudgee have been consistent forces in the competition and won their respective minor premierships in each of the past two seasons.

Much was expected of Sunday's decider and it didn't disappoint, with a brutal and physical opening 20 minutes setting the tone for what was the come.

The Fishies led 14-0 at half-time and went on with the job in the second, with a late Jeremy Thurston field goal icing a 25-12 victory.

"That was a strong game. Mudgee is a tough team," Chapman said.

"They're so much like us. They're physical, they're fit and they just want to win.

"They're a great bunch of blokes too. You can go out on the field and bash each other but they're a great bunch of blokes."

As much as he threw at the opposition on Sunday with and without the ball, Chapman was the first CYMS player to go and shake hands at full-time.

It wasn't long after he was mobbed by teammates, family and friends and celebrations began for the green and white faithful.

"If this is it, then I can't think of a better way to go out," Chapman said.

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