Imagine the current champion Penrith Panthers side being beaten by a team made-up of players from the Peter McDonald Premiership.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hard to believe, isn't it?
But it's exactly what happened when Western Division won the Amco Cup in 1974.
The underdog triumph is one of the greatest stories in rugby league and one of the proudest moments in the storied sporting history of our region.
Next year will mark five decades since the 6-2 win over Penrith in the final and a reunion weekend to honour the occasion is already in the works.
Fittingly, the reunion is set to coincide with the current Western side's opening country championships clash with the Greater Northern Tigers at Narromine's Cale Oval on Saturday, March 2.
"It's great. It's very important because for a team from Western division to beat what were NRL clubs and then come out as champions is a great achievement," Group 11 president Bob Walsh said.
The first edition of the mid-week Amco Cup featured all the major Sydney clubs plus regional teams and a side from Auckland.
Western Division - and all the country teams - were rated no chance against the greats of rugby league but they came together under coach Johnny King and captain Paul Dowling to play a hard, unforgiving brand of football that led to wins over Auckland, Canterbury and Manly (on a penalty count-back) on the way to a final where they downed Penrith.
Western Division also defeated a touring Great Britain side at Orange in the same year in what was considered one of the most violent games of footy ever seen in the region.
The giant-killing run was the stuff of legend, and the players became heroes across the Australian bush.
The surviving Western players are set to attend a dinner, most likely at Dubbo on the Friday night, alongside the 2024 Rams players.
The 1974 team will present the current side with jerseys while also inspire them with stories of the past and the stunning Amco Cup victory.
The run to glory 50 years ago is still something spoken about regularly and held close by people like Walsh.
The reunion will be tinged with sadness for the long-serving administrator and NSW Rugby League director, not only because of those Western players who have died, but also because the loss of former Country Rugby League boss Terry Quinn.
Quinn died in September of 2022 and prior to being the Country Rugby League chief executive, he was a winger for the Penrith team Western defeated in the final.
"God bless him, we used to always give it to him because he played for Penrith," Walsh laughed.
"Back when we used to have the grand final breakfast in Group 11, he came to one and we presented him with a Western Division jumper which he didn't appreciate very much.
"But it is very important and it's good that when we talk about it to some of the younger players we talk about the history of what can happen in Western Division."
The Western side of recent years has made progress in the championships and advanced to the semi-finals last season before being beaten by the Newcastle Rebels.
Hopes are high for 2024, with more emphasis being put on rep footy and the Group 11-Group 10 clash being brought forward to before the championships to act as a genuine selection trial.
Having the first round match at home is another position for the Rams.
"There's really good facilities there in Narromine," Walsh said.
"There's a new grandstand and the ground only gets used for league and union so it's not overused ... it will be in tip-top condition."