Campbelltown City Kangaroos may not have been able to defend their first grade premiership but nor did they walk away from the 2018 rugby league season without adding some trophies to the cabinet.
The club won two honours on the weekend: an inaugural Ladies’ League Tag title and a drought breaking third grade-second division premiership.
Finishing the regular season as minor premiers, the City League Tag girls won their major semi-final against Thirlmere before having to face off against arch-rivals Narellan Jets in the grand final.
Narellan scored early and looked destined for back-to-back premierships when they led 12-6 at the break. “Despite being down at half-time the girls were still really upbeat and confident they could reel the Narellan team in. We played an exceptional second half to cap a near perfect season,” said Roos coach Phil Stewart after the match.
Star playmaker Joss Haddad showed nerves of steel to land a 28m penalty goal attempt to put Campbelltown City in front with three minutes to play and was deservingly adjudged best on ground.
Facing up against the hitherto undefeated Warragamba combination, the Campbelltown City third grade team started rank outsiders to break a 68 year drought, dating back to the Jimmy Foran captain-coached ‘Roos team of 1950.
The City boys were first out of the gates though with a well-placed Jake Barnes bomb being spilled and seeing ever-present Roos fullback Craig Scala pounce to score the opener.
The Wombats struck back, however City were to dominate the rest of the first half. Further tries to Drew McQuarrie and Craig Scala established a surprise 16-10 halftime lead.
Rattled by their undefeated status slipping away, the Wombats were making uncustomary errors and soon after the resumption, McQuarrie scored his double. With the conversion, the City boys were in the lead 22-10 and going as the premiers with 30 minutes to play. A Warragamba try reduced the lead but when backrower Chris Bostock crashed over with eight minutes to play, the ‘Roos were getting ready to lift the Cup.
Craig Scala and Jake Barnes were the best for Campbelltown City, in a team that didn’t have a bad player. It was a masterful coaching effort by Danny Gallagher, moulding a rag-tag team into a premiership winning combination.
Kangaroos’ Chairman John Stonham said he was very proud of the club’s 2018 effort.
“We had four teams in the lower grade semi-finals series,’’ he said.
“It obviously hurt to not be defending our first grade title, but the focus shifted to the four remaining teams and a lot of club spirit was generated over the past four weeks of finals.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“It is an amazing achievement for a genuine third grade team to win the Group 6 Second Division premiership, let alone after a gap of 68 years. Danny has done a wonderful job coaching the team,’’ Mr Stonham said.[/social_quote]
“Since the start of League Tag in 2016, we’ve always been one of the top teams and it is only fitting that this great group of very talented ladies have a premiership recorded against their names.
“I cannot speak highly enough of the team environment that Jodie and Phil have created over the past season. It certainly showed when the chips were down in that second half. They are very deserving premiers”.
Campbelltown City will hold its 2018 Presentation Ball at Wests Leagues Campbelltown on Friday, November 9.
