The long road to a Group 9 grand final proved no obstacle for four of the five eventual premiers at Geohex Stadium on Sunday, with sides backing up from preliminary final victories just seven days earlier to claim premiership glory.
Across five grand finals played in warm conditions, it was only Gundagai in First Grade who had earned a direct passage into the decider and also managed to be successful on the big day.
The Tigers made the most of that advantage, overcoming Temora 24-16 to claim back-to-back Great Northern Premierships.
Gundagai looked in complete control after racing to a 22-0 half-time lead, but the Dragons produced a spirited second-half fightback to close the margin to just six points.
The Tigers held firm under pressure before a late penalty goal provided the breathing room needed to secure the premiership.
In the other four competitions, however, the sides that had been forced to take the longer route showed there was little to separate the benefits of a week’s rest from the momentum of a preliminary final victory.
Albury Thunder completed the comeback in Reserve Grade, defeating the Temora Dragons 18-12 in the grand final.
Temora had claimed an 18-12 victory over Albury in the major semi-final a fortnight earlier, but the Thunder turned the tables when the premiership was on the line to take home the title.
Junee produced a history-making performance in the Women’s Tackle decider, overcoming Wagga Brothers 20-6.
The triumph was particularly significant given Brothers had defeated Junee in the major semi-final, forcing the Diesels to earn their place in the grand final the following week before producing a convincing performance on the biggest stage.
The closest contest of the day came in the Weissel Cup Under 18s, where Wagga Kangaroos held off Wagga Brothers 28-24.
The Kangaroos had been required to survive three consecutive weeks of must-win football, yet still had enough left in the tank to edge out Brothers in a thrilling grand final.
Temora provided the other example of a side making the most of its preliminary final opportunity, defeating Brothers 18-6 to claim the League Tag premiership.
The Dragons had also been required to win the previous weekend to keep their season alive, but showed no signs of fatigue as they secured the title.
While Gundagai’s First Grade success demonstrated the value of earning direct entry into the grand final, the results across the other four competitions showed that a preliminary final seven days earlier was no barrier to premiership success.
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.
