By Tallon Smith

The premier team in the Barwon Darling Rugby League for season 2024 will be crowned when the Bourke Warriors and Brewarrina Golden Googars meet in the Grand Final in Walgett on Sunday.

The Warriors, who have been runners-up in the past two seasons to Goodooga, enter the match as favourites after taking home the competition’s Minor Premiership and having the week off last weekend.

The Googars have had to do it the hard way, finishing third before making the trip to Walgett to face the second-placed Dragons in the semi final, defeating the home side 36-12 to book their place in the decider.

Bourke Warriors President George Orcher told Barwon Darling Rugby League Media that the club is looking forward to playing their arch rivals in the big dance.

“To be honest after we played Walgett the last time, I thought going into the preliminary final that they [Walgett] might have too much firepower for Brewarrina, but they proved that wrong,” Orcher told Barwon Darling Rugby League Media.

“When they came over here a few weeks ago for that game that didn’t go ahead because the referee couldn’t get here, I must admit they did look like a good, strong side with a lot of size.

“That rivalry between Bree and Bourke has always been big, I was over there in 1986 and actually went to school in Bree, I’ve played for both towns so I know how much it means to both of them when they play one another.”

Brewarrina President Sharon Fox told BDRL Media that the town is confident of beating their rivals for the season’s crown if the Golden Googars replicate their performance against Walgett in the Preliminary Final.

“I think if we play at the level we did against Walgett on Saturday we will be able to win, we played exceptionally on the weekend,“ she said.

“It was an amazing game and if you could see the way they’ve trained and the effort they’ve put in, they’re ready to go.

“That rivalry I think makes it so enjoyable, there is a bit of that little brother-big brother thing with us and Bourke and it’s good natured but we love to beat each other.”

When asked about that now-viral photo of kicker Hudson Boney-Higgins kicking a goal off of a shoe in last week’s match, Fox assured BDRL Media that he would have a kicking tee available in the Grand Final.

“Yes yes, we will even have a kicking tee in action this weekend,” she laughed.

Meanwhile in the Ladies League Tag decider, the hometown Walgett Dragons will take on the Lightning Ridge Redbacks for the third straight year.

The Redbacks are shooting for back-to-back titles after their 30-10 win over Walgett last year, while the Dragons will look to emulate their premiership-winning feats in 2022, and exact revenge for last season’s defeat.

In the only lower grade contested on the day, the Under 15s League Tag Grand Final will see Brewarrina face Lightning Ridge.

There are no Under 18 or Under 15 Boys Grand Finals this weekend due to a lack of teams in the area.

Action at the Walgett No.1 Oval on Sunday kicks off at 11:30am, with the Men’s match set down for a 2pm kickoff.