Organiser Grace Toomey and Western Division Ladies League Tag coach Jess Skinner pulled the match together in recent weeks, with the Castlereagh All Blacks taking on a team very close to Skinner’s heart.

Selway’s Warriors competed in the men’s knockout in honour of her late husband Ryan, but Skinner said having a Selway’s Warriors women’s team was another fitting tribute.

Selway was passionate about developing the women’s game and had always supported his wife’s efforts, prior to his death in 2017.

“It was about that, with his personal touch as well, what he’s done for the women’s game but supported me in what I do so I thought it was a great tribute to him,” Skinner said.

“We just pulled a few girls out that are amongst the tackle at the moment but don’t necessarily get picked up … they were some of the [Warriors] boys’ sisters, aunties and they were mint actually!

“Some of those girls I’ve never seen before so there’s a brand new, 15 girls being developed just from that knockout!”

Some of Skinners’ Western Rams women also featured for the Warriors, including Wellington’s Britt Naden and Rhianna Sutherland.

“There’s a few girls from Western Rams that are Koori so I built the team around them and also just to develop them as leaders in the game,” Skinner said.

“I’ll put some training into the girls and start developing … next year we’ll have a bit underneath us and we might be able to do the big knockout!”

She thanked Toomey and brother Thomas for their efforts in organising a great event.

“A lot of our small men’s teams don’t get to have a good crack at a big knockout,” Skinner said.

“Their work behind the scenes for a fantastic day like this, and in quality facilities Dubbo has to offer, yeah we’ll keep coming back!”