Cooma hosts CRL ChampsionshipsTwo hundred of the best Rugby League players from country NSW took part in the Country Rugby League Championships in Cooma on Saturday.
It is estimated 400 spectators watched the full day of rugby league at the Showground on Saturday to witness some top quality football being played.
The match of the day was between Illawarra and Canberra. Illawarra won the match 18-12.
Locals got along to support and cheer on Group 16- the local representative side. Seven Cooma Stallions were in the squad.
Sam Gilbert played fullback, Corey Thomas at centre, Zach Smith at five-eighth, while Tom Holmes and James Boller came off the bench. Stand outs for Group 16 were Cooma's Todd Williams and Sam Dowsett. Starting at prop Williams ran hard throughout the match, while Dowsett playing hooker continued to try and create opportunities from dummy half all game.
Many supporters were left disappointed when Group 16 were defeated by a much stronger Group 9 side 78-0. The second half was reduced by 10 minutes as Group 16, who went into the game with a number of setbacks including unavailable players and players out through injury, conceded 15 tries in total and were completely outclassed by Group 9.
The highlight of the championships was a dinner on Friday night at the Cooma Ex-Services Club with former Canberra Raiders captain Alan Tongue, current Raider Sam Williams and Country Rugby League CEO Jock Colley special guests. Local Ross Johnson, a founding member of Rugby League in Cooma, also spoke about the history of league in the town.
Alan Tongue gave an inspirational speech to the 200 players at the function, telling them how important their role was in the local community, particularly in the country.
"Whether you like it or not you are role models in your community," he said.
"A lot of people can't do what you do. A lot of people aren't courageous enough to throw on a jersey and run head first into 13 other blokes that are trying to kill them.
"Rugby League is one of these games that every time you put on the jersey your character gets tested straight away."
Tongue had a one-on-one question and answer with Cooma Colts junior, now Canberra Raider, Sam Williams.
Asking Williams the thing he loved most about rugby league, Williams replied it was the mates he had made along the way.
"The biggest thing about rugby league is the mates you make from it," he said.
"There's nothing better. We won a comp in the under 16s and we played together all through the juniors. And just winning the comp with your group of mates, I don't think there's much better than that," Williams said.
Williams said his dream would be to one day to win an NRL premiership.
"I think ultimately I would love to play for [my] Country and State of Origin," he said. "But as a team sport I think the biggest thing is trying to win a competition.
"That's the ultimate goal is to win a competition with your mates.
Group 16 vice president Dean Lynch said the function was very well received by those who attended.
"I was very happy with the Friday night function," he said.
"We were trying to promote Rugby League in the area, and good quality sport. And I think we achieved that."
Source: http://www.coomaexpress.com.au/story/1546292/cooma-hosts-crl-champsionships/?cs=570
Topic: Raiders legend Tongue gives inspirational speech at CRL Champsionships
