The 2023 Group 9 season may only be six rounds old, but already the Wagga Kangaroos supporters are getting excited with their team sitting on top of the competition table.
The Wagga club entered 2023 with the weight of expectation on their shoulders following a hectic off-season of signings.
Gundagai's grand final-winning duo Nathan Rose and Latrell Siegwalt – formerly with the South City Bulls – joined the club amid much fanfare.
Casey Lynch signed on from the Tumut Blues, and James Hay has slotted nicely into the front row after Wagga Brothers failed to get a team off the ground.
Add to that quality forwards such as Luke Ingram and Troy Barby, playmaker Tyler Jones back on deck, and it appears the Wagga club has a list that will compete well for a drought-breaking title.
Early season results have fuelled the fire, with Wagga proving the side hard to beat.
'Roos came up against the reigning premiers in Round One, putting away an under-manned Gundagai outfit 44-16 before a close 28-26 loss to 2022 Grand Finalists Young in Round Two.
Since then, they have enjoyed a 20-4 victory over the South City Bulls in Round Three, back-to-back byes in Rounds Four and Five, and most recently, an 18-6 win over the Junee Diesels in Round Six.
James Hay, who's coached and played a lot of representative Rugby League in the Riverina, has slotted in as one of the leaders in the star-studded squad, which is captained and coached by Nathan Rose.
He explained that it wasn't a pretty win over Junee but a gritty result against a gallant Diesels squad at Laurie Daley Oval.
"Against Junee, I think we might have completed one set in the first 20 minutes," Hay said.
"We just kept defending, and as much as we turned the ball over, we still turned them away, and they scored one try off a kick.
"It wasn't the game it could have been for us, but it was good to turn up defensively and get the win."
Hay isn’t buying into the chatter that the ‘Roos are finals-bounds.
"We have high expectations of ourselves, and it's not coming from anywhere else," Hay said.
"I know the players believe in each other and believe we can match or beat any team in the competition.
"There are definitely some high expectations in terms of training and the way we are trying to play.”
The Kangaroos will be on the road in Round Seven when travelling to Albury's Greenfield Park on Saturday to take on the fourth-placed Albury Thunder.
In other Round Seven games, the improving Gundagai Tigers are fresh off their Challenge Cup win over Young, and they play host to the South City Bulls at Anzac Park on Saturday.
The Young Cherrypickers, who have lost back-to-back games, will want to fire back against the winless Junee Diesels at Alfred Oval on Sunday.
Round 6 results: Wagga Kangaroos 18 def Junee Diesels 6, Gundagai Tigers 44 def Young Cherrypickers 12, Tumut Blues 38 def South City Bulls 4.
Group 9 ladder: Wagga Kangaroos 10, Tumut Blues 8, Temora Dragons 8, Albury Thunder 8, Young Cherrypickers 8, Gundagai Tigers 6, South City Bulls 6, Junee Diesels 4.
