Sixteen teams qualified for the Year 3-4 final series of matches with Dubbo’s St Laurence’s involved for the first time.

They dominated their pool matches, winning all three games then eliminated Orange’s Bletchington Public in a semi-final while St Mary’s came through in the top half of the draw with three pool wins and then a semi-final success over St Michael’s Dunedoo.

School principal Pauline Walkom was on hand to see the win by St Laurence’s, a side coached by Martin Nelson.

“This was our first year in this competition and the boys have done very well. We had a couple of footy kids among the 12 boys and everyone had blended together nicely,” Nelson said.

“It’s been a very exciting day for the kids and for them to win first time is a credit to them all.”

Both teams in the final were presented with their trophies by former NRL and Australian Super League back Russell Richardson, a former Dubbo junior who now lives in Newcastle.

In the David Peachey Shield final yesterday for Year 5-6 players, Cowra’s St Raphael’s, coached by Scott Hudson, was the winner by 12-4 over Lithgow’s Cooerwull Public.

Both teams were standouts with three wins in pool games.

St Raphael’s Nick Wilkinson was man of the match and like Matt Burton in the Richardson Cup won an X-Box.

All the kids in the finals were presented with goodies provided by the sponsors.

Dubbo South went down to Cooerwull in one semi-final while Warren was the beaten side to St Raphael’s.

“This has been our 10th year in these competitions and it’s great to know that this year we had 250 teams involved,” Richardson said.

“The success of it all shows on the faces of the kids here today and they’ve had a lot of support from their parents and teachers.”

Peachey reminded the kids that one of the competition’s first players was Daniel Mortimer, who played in the NRL grand final with Parramatta last year and is now one of the marquee players in the league.

“Daniel is a graduate from our carnival and it just goes to show what you can achieve,” Peachey said.

“If you do well in the game that’s good, but if down the track you decide not to play, then that is your decision. We hope you’ve enjoyed the experience here today.

“We have a carnival that is good for the sport and good for the kids.”

Peachey and Richardson also praised the efforts of Country Rugby League and Austral Rugby League development officers who run the carnival, sponsors Toyota and Kombat guernseys and the referees and teachers who helped make it the success that it has been.

Special guests with Peachey and Richardson were David Williams from the Manly Sea Eagles and injured Cronulla Sharks player Reece Williams.

Another feature of the day was naming of a merit team in both divisions.