All three were faces in the crowd and on the playing fields at Apex Oval when Dubbo hosted yet another primary schools carnival honouring the contribution made to the game over a number of years by David Peachey and Russell Richardson.

The Peachey Shield was for kids from years 5 and 6 and the Richardson Cup for years 3 to 4.

While the winning teams took home the silverware and the honours, there was a group of other boys who received their own plaudits, and that’s where Jamie, Nick and Bailey came into play.

Jamie was one of 10 boys named in the Russell Richardson Cup Team of the Day; and Harry and Bailey were some of the best in the Peachey Shield.

The boys all received a guernsey courtesy of Country Rugby League supplier Carney Sports after accumulating best and fairest points in pool games held throughout the day of the regional finals.

The finals were the culmination of a season of games held at various venues about the western area.

Dubbo’s St Mary’s Catholic School won the Peachey Shield after defeating Holy Family Kelso 20-12 despite trailing 8-0 early in the first half. Jono Davis (St Mary’s) was player of the final.

St Mary’s, coached by Justin Yeo, now qualify for the state final NRL Legend’s day in Sydney on August 22.

In the Richardson Shield final it was victory to Calare Public from Orange who won 12-4 over a gallant outfit from St Augustine’s Catholic School in Narromine with Ben Blimka a standout for his Calare side all day.

Mick Armstrong, the Australian Rugby League development officer based in Bathurst, said the competitions had been an enormous success.

“This year we had 250 teams and played qualifying carnivals in nine towns to cater for close to 3000 players,” he said.

“The teams went to the games at Dubbo, Bathurst, Orange, Portland, Cowra, Dunedoo, Coonamble, Condobolin and Cobar where all the schools had the opportunity to play and earn the right to come to Dubbo for the finals.

“Then today (at Dubbo for the finals) we’ve had an enormous day.

“Even though there was strike action by some teachers in our area we still had a full compliment of teams and not one drop-out. That’s been good.

“We thank the teams and the players for coming, the teachers, the coaches and managers who put the teams together.

“And of course we wouldn’t have had the games without the referees. Today there were some initial concerns because some of the Dubbo Senior College boys were away with Astley Cup and other commitments, but we still we got through. Our volunteer referees have been great.”

You have to admire the quality of the football played in the final pool matches and the semi-finals and finals and as David Peachey and Russell Richardson recalled: “Some of our future NRL players were here at this carnival.”