Oberon Tigers won their first rugby league premiership in Group 10 since 2003 when they took the Midwest Landscaping Cup grand final 23-10 over CSU Mungoes at Carrington Park on Saturday, September 26.
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The Tigers scored first points after just three minutes with a converted try and, a part from CSU equalising eight minutes later at 6-all, Oberon never relinquished the lead, scoring again soon afterwards for a 12-6 scoreline.
The Tigers took a stranglehold on the game with their next two tries, the second by Caylib Marston spectacularly throwing dummy passes to the right and the left to score alongside the posts for an easy conversion by Josh Rivett and a 16-point lead.
In the final quarter CSU's Jarrod Colling's try for 22-10 gave last yea's premiers some hope for a late revival but the Tigers tightened their defence to squeeze any life from the students' attack.
In the last couple of minutes a successful Oberon field goal sealed the result, with most of the Tigers' players celebrating the win prematurely as the clock ticked down.
Carrying injuries into the game Oberon still managed to dominate throughout, and with CSU's attack kept in check, the Mungoes found it difficult penetrating the defensive line.
Oberon, up and down from the Group 10 first division to the Midwest competition over the past 20 years, won their first title since their 2003 Midwest grand final win over Blackheath 17 years ago.
League Tag
The Wallerawang Landscaping Cup league tag grand final lived up to all expectations, a memorable match going past the allocated finishing time for a win to CSU 22-20 in extra time.
From the opening whistle CSU took the game to their much-vaunted opponents and a try to Bronte Emanuel, converted by Issy Hunt gave the Mungals a 6-nil lead.
Cargo, rich with attacking players like Heid Regan and Sami Laing, drew even at 6-all with Sarah Archer's converted try for the only score in the second quarter but CSU hit back soon after the start of the third quarter with Lily Phillips' try, also converted, to regain the lead 12-6.
Jenn Kimbel pushed the score along to 16-6 with her try, but the conversion attempt, the first of the game's kicks to miss the posts, was unsuccessful.
Pre-game favourites Cargo hit back, scoring twice, with tries to Tayla Press and Molly Holswell, to equalise at 16-all at fulltime.
Into extra time, with Cargo's Sami Laing's try and a 20-16 scoreline, it appeared that the Heelers would win their first Midwest leaguetag premiership until, into the countdown CSU's Claudia McLaren's try evened up the score.
Emanuel's successful conversion cinched the result for CSU, winning 22-20 virtually on the bell, a fitting conclusion to an exciting, open and intriguing grand final.
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