Tallon Smith

The Yanco-Wamoon Hawks strengthened their grip on top spot after 12 rounds of the Group 20 season with a 60-0 shutout of West Wyalong at the Yanco Sportsground on Sunday.

The Hawks sit atop the table on points differential after a near-perfect run so far in 2026, with their round eight loss to second-placed Griffith Waratahs the side’s only taste of defeat so far in 2026.

After a lean run over the previous half a decade ended with a finals appearance last season, Yanco-Wamoon first grade manager Adam Watterson said Sunday’s result was one of the best for the club in many seasons.

“It was a good scoreline, I don’t think Yanco in the last 10 years has ever put a score like that on anyone for quite a while,” he said.

“West Wyalong, they were struggling for numbers and I think just being at home, a big key this year [is] we don’t want to be beaten at home.

“We just want to keep it a fortress at home, and it just ended up for West Wyalong that it wasn’t their day.”

Amongst the side’s 11 tries on the day was a quadruple to star signing John Wharepapa-Rawiri, with the competition’s mercy rule the only thing stopping him from having another on the official scoresheet.

Watterson said the back-rower has been integral to the side’s rapid rise up the ladder this year, leading the side’s already strong forward park to another level.

“JT has been massive since coming to the club,” Watterson said. 

“From his first training run [he has] been around everyone, he has taken over the mantlepiece off Jim as probably the best forward in the club.

“He has got a few fours, but I think five this game will be his highest tally.”

As for the Hawks’ goals for the remainder of the season, while big games against Leeton in a fortnight’s time and Waratahs in the penultimate round await, Watterson said the focus is on taking things one game at a time, beginning with this weekend’s clash against a Yenda side looking to snap a nine-game losing streak.

“We will be good, we just go week by week, we’re just worried about Yenda at the moment,” he said.

“The derby will be a good game coming up, but we have got to get through Yenda yet, they have got some class players in their side, so we don’t know, they could come out and put on a show for their home crowd as well, so it’s just week by week at the moment.”

The clash between the Blueheelers and the Hawks will kick off at 2:35pm at Wade Park on Sunday.