Exclusive: New era to begin at Young under local coaching duo and former NRL star

Tallon Smith The Young Cherrypickers have announced a major change to their coaching setup heading into next year, with Jayke Hogan and Daniel Barclay to take the reins of the First Grade side for the 2026 Group 9 season. The pair will be joined by another big name as Assistant Coach, with former Cronulla Sharks star Nathan Stapleton to lend his expertise to this season’s … Continue reading Exclusive: New era to begin at Young under local coaching duo and former NRL star

We did it! Kelly Cup return finalised after Battlers campaign to reinstate prestigious fixture

Tallon Smith After a four-year hiatus, the prestigious Kelly Cup between rival Riverina competitions Group 9 and Group 20 will return in February as a selection trial for the region’s country championships team. The announcement of the fixture’s return comes after a two-year campaign led by Battlers For Bush Footy to revive the historic representative match, which began with a piece that ran last summer … Continue reading We did it! Kelly Cup return finalised after Battlers campaign to reinstate prestigious fixture

Vale Peter “Parra” Montgomery: A rugby league legend, a friend, and a mentor

Tallon Smith The country rugby league world has lost a giant of the game, after the passing of the great Peter “Parra” Montgomery last night aged 79. A legendary figure across Groups 9, 17 and 20, and the Country Rugby League as a whole, Parra held positions as a player, journalist and administrator at local, group and state level. Peter Montgomery originally hailed from Sydney, … Continue reading Vale Peter “Parra” Montgomery: A rugby league legend, a friend, and a mentor

Group 9: Brothers make major move as South City coach joins cross-town rivals for season 2026

Tallon Smith The Wagga Brothers have made the second major move of the Group 9 off-season, announcing the signing of former South City coach Cleve McGhie for the 2026 campaign. The outgoing Bulls mentor will join the Brothers in a playing capacity under the coaching of Blake Dunn, who will continue in the role next season. The signing of McGhie was announced via a statement … Continue reading Group 9: Brothers make major move as South City coach joins cross-town rivals for season 2026

Group 9: Former Group 20 mentor appointed to Temora coaching job for 2026 season

Tallon Smith The Temora Dragons have made the first major move of the Group 9 off-season, announcing Jordon Burley as their First Grade head coach for the 2026 campaign. The new Dragons mentor brings with him plenty of coachinhg experience, having assisted James Dole at Yenda in Group 20 prior to his appointment to roles within the Riverina Bulls junior representative system earlier this year. … Continue reading Group 9: Former Group 20 mentor appointed to Temora coaching job for 2026 season

Parra’s Piece: Heartbreak for Thunder in extra time thriller

Peter (Parra) Montgomery The Albury Thunder Reserve Grade team had its ‘heart-broken’ in the Grand Final played at Geohex Stadium on Sunday. The Thunder, looking to complete an undefeated season after going through the previous 17 matches with an unblemished record, was beaten by Wagga Kangaroos 17-12 after an extra 10 minutes of additional time was required after the teams were locked together at 12 … Continue reading Parra’s Piece: Heartbreak for Thunder in extra time thriller

Late penalty sees Brothers home in Grand Final against Temora in another instalment of epic rivalry

Tallon Smith The Wagga Brothers flipped the script on defending premiers Temora, avenging last year’s loss with a 16-14 win in the Group 9 League Tag Grand Final at Geohex Park in Wagga on Sunday. A late penalty goal to Brooke Wiggett proved to be the difference in a see-sawing encounter between the two greatest league tag outfits of this generation in the region, with … Continue reading Late penalty sees Brothers home in Grand Final against Temora in another instalment of epic rivalry

Hurst and Carey come up clutch for Kangaroos in extra time thriller against Albury

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 … Continue reading Hurst and Carey come up clutch for Kangaroos in extra time thriller against Albury

Cherrypickers crowned inaugural Women’s Tackle premiers after “surreal” finals run

Tallon Smith The Young Cherrypickers have completed a stunning run in the inaugural Group 9 Women’s Tackle Premiership, storming home from fourth to claim the title with a 16-10 win over the Estella Storm in the Grand Final at Geohex Park on Sunday. The Cherrypickers burst out of the blocks in the first half, with three tries to Jayda Hemara, Shania McKinnon and Beth Loco … Continue reading Cherrypickers crowned inaugural Women’s Tackle premiers after “surreal” finals run

Group 9 Grand Final: Gutsy Gundagai deny Kangaroos to claim fifth title in a decade

Tallon Smith A gutsy second half performance has secured the Gundagai Tigers a 10-6 Grand Final win over the Wagga Kangaroos and the 2025 Group 9 Premiership at Geohex Park on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers started the stronger of the two sides, bursting out of the blocks with two quick tries to fullback Tyron Gorman and centre James Morgan to open up a 10-0 lead. … Continue reading Group 9 Grand Final: Gutsy Gundagai deny Kangaroos to claim fifth title in a decade