LOCAL rugby league fans are in for a treat with two State of Origin heroes set to be in Dubbo next week as part of the Road to Origin tour.
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Backline stars Matt Cooper and Brent Tate, of NSW and Queensland respectively, will pass through on May 27, bringing with them all the excitement and anticipation which surrounds State of Origin.
Dubbo is the fifth stop on the tour, which goes through both states and allows fans to meet players, who then will help put local juniors through their paces in a fun skills and drills clinic.
The action will begin at 4pm at Caltex Park with any local junior, as well as any league fan, able to attend the free event.
Cooper has been to Dubbo before, as part of his community work and also in the lead-up to the 2014 City-Country match, and stated he couldn't wait to get back.
The former St George Illawarra favourite played 13 times for the Blues, while he also went on to play for Australia seven times during a career which saw him rack up 243 appearances in the Dragons colours.
"Rugby league is the lifeblood of many sporting-mad communities, particularly those like Dubbo. I can't wait to visit, meet the fans and check out their up-and-coming footy talent," he said.
Michael Adams of Golden West Holden said the tour had become a much-loved fixture in the lead-up to the Holden State of Origin.
"This is our third year of running the Road to Origin and this year we are excited to include Dubbo on the tour to bring 'Origin-fever' to fans who would otherwise not have the opportunity to get a taste of the action," Michael said.
"Some of the NRL's biggest and best players began their careers in regional Australian towns like Dubbo, such as Andrew Ryan, Luke Priddis and David Peachey so it's great to be able to celebrate our great sport at a grassroots level," he added.
As a thank you to Dubbo City Juniors for hosting the Road to Origin Footy Clinic, Golden West Holden will present the club with a Holden Home Ground Advantage grant of $1000 to put towards new equipment, uniforms or other upgrades.
On the day, there will also be an opportunity for other sporting clubs to attend and learn more about the Holden Home Ground Advantage program that provides grants of up to $100,000 twice a year.
Applications open June 1 2016 for the winter round of grants and sporting clubs of all codes are encouraged to apply. Visit www.holden.com.au/homegroundadvantage for more information.