AVID followers of Group 10 would be very familiar with the rich history that envelopes the mighty Oberon Tigers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Eleven first grade premierships including a stretch of 10 in 11 seasons form 1961 onwards – the black and golds were Group 10’s equivalent to the untouchable St George Dragons side of the 1960s.
But the rewards have been a little bleak since then – well, very bleak really.
So much so, this Saturday at Oberon, population nudging 2,500, is a massive one for rugby league in the area.
The Tigers host Mudgee in the Group 10 elimination semi-final at the Oberon Sportsground.
It’s the first time since 1976 all three Oberon senior men’s grades – premier league, first division and under-18s – have made the finals in the same year.
While the club hosted the 2009 Mid West grand final, it’s been nearly 50 years since Oberon has hosted a Group 10 finals game on home soil.
Incredibly, in the stretch of grand final success throughout the 1960s, only twice did the club get to play in Oberon, and on both occasions those games were minor semi-finals.
It’s a recipe for one of the biggest days the competition has seen since the 2013 grand final when CYMS played Hawks in an all Orange encounter that attracted a mammoth crowd that took a gate of $50,000 for Group 10.
Expecting such numbers in week one of the semi-finals might be foolish, but if there’s a supporter base that can rally, it’s those in the black and gold.
Hawks take on CYMS at Oberon in the league tag elimination semi-final to begin the day at 10am, before the Tigers play Bathurst Panthers, Cowra and then Mudgee in the three senior grades, under-18s, first division and premier league respectively.
What a day it'll be for Group 10 rugby league and the Oberon Tigers.