Wellington Cowboys captain-coach Justin Toomey-White has had plenty of reasons to celebrate in recent years but Sunday's breakthrough Peter McDonald Premiership victory ranks right up there in proud moments.
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The Cowboys delighted the Wellington faithful in their final home game for 2022, downing the Nyngan Tigers 38-20 to record their first win of the season.
A huge amount has changed at the Cowboys since Toomey-White masterminded the 2019 Group 11 premiership win and the first grade team is now virtually unrecognisable from that one, but the pride in the jersey remains.
The captain-coach and Wellington star might have scored a crucial double in the victory but he said the match, much like this season, belonged to the young players who have shown great development in their first season in the top grade.
"I love to lead but I want the boys to get better," he said.
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"It's not about me or the way I play. It's about every one of those boys who take the field for us getting better.
"If they're getting better on the field they're going to be better people off the field and that's the people we want at our club and the players leading our community.
"We want staunch leaders. We've got a few young fellas who are buying into that and they're learning and we've got a few older boys who are leading the way.
"It's awesome. I do what I have to do for the team and it puts a smile on my face seeing 16 other blokes are leading from the front as well."
Sunday was the club's final home game for the 2022 season and, with a strong crowd on hand, it started well as the Cowgirls' league tag side recorded its third win of the season and strengthened its hold on fourth spot on the Group 11 ladder.
Toomey-White said the league tag side has been "the shining light" for the club this year but the general feeling among most people in the western rugby league community was a win wasn't far away for the first grade Cowboys.
They were unlucky not to get past a scrappy Dubbo CYMS side last month while they fell just short of a stunning comeback against the Macquarie Raiders, before producing a hugely disappointing performance against Group 10 strugglers Lithgow last round.
The match against a Lithgow side which had only won once this season up to that point seemed like a golden chance that slipped away, but the Cowboys shrugged that result off quickly.
"Our performance against Lithgow was probably the worst of the year," Toomey-White said.
"It might be a surprise to others but in our camp we knew our win wasn't that far away. We really stuck with sides and we knew if we put an 80-minute performance together anything could happen.
"Our performance against Lithgow wasn't our best but we had a big week at training to rectify the wrongs.
"It was good to see the boys react the way they did."
Fullback Tony Clevin was one of the Cowboys' best again after bouncing around the Macquarie Raiders and Trangie Magpies earlier in the season.
Since arriving at Wellington midway through the year he's made the fullback spot his own and he scored one of the Cowboys' seven tries against a Nyngan side ravaged by injury and suspension.
Richie Peckham again provided valuable experience and direction at hooker while young halves Timmy Boney-Stewart and Randel Dowling also crossed in the win.
"It was a different feeling in the game. It was the first timer we've led with 20 minutes to go and it was great to see, as a coach, how they reacted to that," Toomey-White said.
"They reacted well and we knew that game wasn't over until the hooter blew because Nyngan can score tries from everywhere.
"It was a good feeling in the sheds. We had a lot of young fellas who hadn't won a game in first grade yet so that was a good learning curve for them and good to finally get that win."
With that win in the bag, the Cowboys aren't resting on their laurels.
Toomey-White's side faces a challenging end to the season as they face trips to Bathurst St Pat's, Dubbo CYMS and Forbes, sides which are all currently in the top four of their respective pools.
"As individuals and as a team we've got some more boxes we want to tick," the captain-coach said.
"It's a new challenge for the boys and it would be good to finish the season off as best as we can."
- WELLINGTON COWBOYS 38 (Justin Toomey-White 2, Randel Dowling, Brian Baxter, Mac Dutfield, Tim Boney-Stewart, Tony Clevin; Randel Dowling 5 goals) defeated NYNGAN TIGERS 30 (Jackson Cox, Terrance Ryan, Cameron Bourke, Matty Macdougall tries; Matty Macdougall, Farren Lamb goals)
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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.
