There’s already enough motivation for the Dubbo Kangaroos this weekend with the undefeated Orange Emus coming to town and the battle for second spot on the Blowes Clothing Cup ladder well and truly alive.
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But the fact the Roos will be playing in front of the two premiership winning sides from 2007 adds even more to a day which already shapes as one of the biggest of the season.
Just to top things off, Saturday is also sponsor’s day as the club takes the chance to thanks all those who have supported it.
The Roos’ first grade and third grade premiership winners will be holding their 10-year reunion at No. 1 Oval on Saturday as the current sides do battle with the Orange Emus powerhouse.
Dean Matthews, who scored a try in the 26-23 first grade triumph 10 years ago, is now the coach of the Roos’ premier team and can’t wait to take on the competition benchmark in front of what is expected to be a raucous home crowd.
“It’s going to be good and a lot of those blokes (2007 players) we haven’t seen much of since they stopped playing so it’s going to be good to have them there and catch up,” he said.
“And we’ve got nothing to lose. We haven’t beaten them in a long time and they’re top of the pedestal, everyone wants to knock them off and we’re no different. But they’re a quality side.”
The majority of both the victorious first and third grade sides from 2007 will be in attendance, with many stories to be told of the respective grand final wins over Orange City and CSU Bathurst.
Matthews scored a crucial second half try as the Roos went on the make it back-to-back titles in first grade and he said it was a great period in the club’s proud history.
“Geoff Koestz and Greg Horton used to run a pretty tight ship and you were either on their page or you were out,” Matthews said of that season.
“But it was fantastic in those few years and there was some great players … our one to 15 was a really solid side and then 16 to 25 was solid too and could have been out there playing.”
One of the biggest things for the Roos, and not just with individuals from 2007, is the fact so many former have stayed involved with the club and even in recent years the likes of Lee Toohey, James Skuthorpe and Will Martell have been running around in third grade.
Jason Coyle, who kicked a penalty in third grade grand final of 2007, is still heavily involved with the club and remains a real fan favourite. He has featured in first grade this season and is every chance of featuring on the bench again for Matthews come Saturday.
The starting 15 for Saturday’s main game is as strong as Matthews has named in some time, with the likes of Shaun McHugh, Johhny Mafiti, Monty Hicks and flying outside back Viliame Turuva back in the side while Angus McGuinness, Sam Clements and youngster Matt Zell are set to come off the bench.
Kick off at No. 1 Oval on Saturday is 3.15pm.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
