Dungowan Cowboys will be celebrating Old Boys Day as well as a 10 Year Reunion of its Grand Final win over Kootingal when the Cowboys host the Roosters in their Whitehaven Coal Group 4 Round 7 match at the Dungowan Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
Cowboys president Robert Brady said it will be a huge day at Dungowan.
“Hopefully we will get a good turn-out for it and we have the same weather as we’ve had all week.,” Rob Brady said.
Luke Taylor coached Dungowan to an upset 30-10 win over Kootingal at Kootingal back in 2014 when both clubs were in the old Group 4 Second Division.
“I think Kooty were undefeated that year and we knocked them off,” Luke Taylor recalled.
“We had a good side, had the likes of the Wilson brothers, Todd and Matt, Chris Train came out of retirement, Clint Ridley, Scott Henry, Ben Tongue, Damo Pittman, Andrew Thomas and Ethan Sherlock. Dean Ellison was one of our trainers and Paul Boyce (current North Tamworth) also helped us out.”
Taylor is hoping many of those players will return and meet for a function at the North Tamworth Bowling Club on Friday night as well as a get together at the Dungowan Recreation Reserve for Saturday’s game.
While the Cowboys will celebrate that Grand Final success the Dungowan-Kootingal rivalry stretched further back during their Second Division eras.
Back in 2001 the Cowboys were coached by Scott Swain and made the GF that year only to be beaten 18-10 by Kootingal at Dungowan.
It started a run of three successive premierships for the Roosters, beating Bendemeer (twice) and Uralla.
Dungowan’s second tilt at a GF ended in defeat to 40-26 in 2007 but Mick Schmiedel lobbed at Dungowan to lead the club to two premierships in 2008-09.
Both clubs now play in the Group 4 competition and have continued their fierce rivalry.
The two sides will also play or the Pepperell Shield as well on Saturday, said Kootingal coach Mark Sheppard.
“There’s a bit of history between the two clubs,” Mark Sheppard said.
“They’ve got their Old Boys day and celebrating their Grand Final win against in 2014. It’s always a good day and we’re also playing for the Pepperell Shield. There’s so much respect between the two clubs too and a lot of feeling as well, it can be a real grudge match too.”
Sheppard said the Roosters had a “real good session Tuesday night” and the fact the side has had two successive losses to Boggabri and Moree heightens their desire to stop that sequence.
Sheppard acknowledges Dungowan has some talented players but he’s also confident his side can return to the winners list.
The return of Brayden Jerrard is a bonus for the Roosters and his pairing with Rhys Davis in the halves will be important. They sparked the side three games back in a brilliant first half display against Werris Creek.
Sheppard has named Jordan Sharpe at lock with Anders Glew going to hooker and Johnny Seabrook at prop in place of the injured (concussion) Adam Murphy.
In other Group 4 Games
First will play second on the ladder when Moree Boars host the Werris Creek Magpies at Boughton Oval on Saturday, and Narrabri Blues will be hoping to leapfrog Gunnedah off the bottom of the ladder at Collins Park, in Narrabri on Sunday.
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