The town of Nyngan will descend upon Dubbo on Sunday to support the Nyngan Tigers against Bathurst St Patricks in the Under 18s Western Premiership Grand Final.
The Tigers are through to the season’s decider after a nail-biting one-point victory over Dubbo CYMS in the Preliminary Final at Apex Oval, Dubbo.
The win continues a fairy tale run for the Tigers, who have faced elimination in every finals game this year. They were fourth on the ladder at the conclusion of the regular season.
It is a fair achievement for a small town with a population of around 2500 to match it with teams from much larger cities - another challenge they will face again on Sunday when they take on St Patricks.
Tigers co-coach Troy Richards told The Daily Liberal earlier this season there was real belief within the team and the town that the Tigers could go all the way in 2022.
“We’ve got expectations and these boys aren’t little kids anymore,” Richards said.
“The town knows we can do it.”
The club and community have also been lifted by the fact that more locals are starting to represent the Tigers, which has not always been the case.
In recent years, the Tigers have put a lot of time and attention into the development of their junior players and that, plus the passionate support and belief of the local community, has helped them reach the Under 18s Western Premiership Grand Final.
"We've always had the good supporters, whether it's league tag or Under 18s or reserve grade, or a first grade Grand Final,” Richards said.
The Tigers last made an Under 18s Grand Final in 2016 in Group 11, where they were defeated by the in-form Wellington Cowboys.
On Sunday, they will look to win their first Under 18s premiership since 1980, when they toppled Bourke in Walgett. They will have the combined support of the entire club and town as the only Nyngan Tigers side playing in a grand final this year.
It was a tough season for the Tigers first and reserve grade sides with injuries resulting in many of the Under 18s players stepping up to assist. Despite the extra workload, they kept racking up the wins to secure their ticket to the Grand Final.
Led by captain Aidan Bermingham, the Tigers have a crop of highly skilled players, who have impressed consistently. Tyrone Tattersall and Will Black both represented the Western Rams, while Cooper Black has also stood out, scoring 14 tries and 110 points this season.
The Tigers first grade side is going through a rebuild period and will hope the Under 18s players can bring their success with them, when the time comes to step up to the higher grades.
The future of the Nyngan Tigers is in good hands but for now the focus is on Sunday at Apex Oval.
