Tallon Smith

The Wagga Kangaroos have denied Albury Thunder a perfect season in the Group 9 Reserve Grade Grand Final with a heartstopping 17-12 extra time win at Geohex Park on Sunday.

After a dour opening to the match, Kangaroos opened the scoring through strike centre Khaileb Cameron-Pani, before Albury hit back through second rower Ty Tindalevale to level the scores at 6-all heading into the sheds.

Roos opened up their six-point advantage again early in the second half when Cameron-Pani grabbed his second for the day, before Bailey Muras hit back for Albury, locking the scores for a second time at 12-all.

A frantic final few minutes followed, with both sides looking to get field goal shots off in an effort to win the game in regulation.

Tyler Jones had the best of the looks, hitting the left upright at the northern end, while Thunder winger Jade Duroux also had an attempt waved away.

With the scores still locked, the match entered two five-minute periods of extra time, with Kangaroos hooker Wil Hurst giving his side the advantage, nailing a field goal after a Thunder chargedown gifted the Wagga outfit a fresh set of six inside the Albury half.

Then, with the score remaining 13-12 in the second period of extra time, a quick left side shift saw Kangaroos winger Chantz Carey dive over in the corner to give his side a 17-12 lead after the missed conversion from Tyler Jones.

With Albury needing a converted try to win the game, a poor restart saw the Kangaroos secure the ball, and with it the premiership for season 2025.

Speaking after the win, Hurst, son of club President Peter, said that it was incredible to emerge the winners in such a remarkable game of rugby league.

“It was a great feeling, it was such a hard-fought battle out there, so just to finally get the win [was good],” he said.

“They’re a great side, Albury, they were undefeated all year and it definitely showed [today].

“To get the win with the boys, we’ve been working so hard, so definitely a great feeling.”

After finishing third in what many thought was a two-horse race between Gundagai and Albury in the second grade competition, the Roos were hardly given a chance of factoring in premiership calculations by many across the region.

However, Hurst said it was the fact that the side was written off and facing sudden death that saw them beat both of last year’s Grand Finalists in consecutive weeks to take home the trophy.

“I think when our back’s against the wall, that’s when we really show our true colours, and we really dug deep for each other,” he said.

“Credit to all the boys, we all stuck up for each other, it was a really good team performance.”

The win marks Kangaroos’ first Reserve Grade triumph since their 1990 defeat of Temora, though the club did claim the 1992 title during their short-lived joint venture with Wagga Brothers.

Meanwhile for Albury, the loss is the club’s second Reserve Grade Grand Final defeat in the past two seasons after last year’s final minute heartbreak against Gundagai.