They're something special, our Lachlan Under 18s.
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From a brand new club with a short eight-round season, they've claimed the Western Women's Rugby League Under 18s premiership with a 28-24 victory over Orange Vipers.
The consistency of Teagan Smede's boot made the difference in a hard-fought grand final in Bathurst on Saturday.
The win showed the depth of talent and commitment in the squad, coach Troy Gosper said, with Vipers working hard to limit the opportunities for the competition's leading try-scorer Elizabeth MacGregor.
Maely MacGregor crossed the tryline three times and Charli Robinson twice - Charli awarded Player of the Grand Final for her efforts.
It capped an undefeated campaign for the girls in the club's debut year: something for this squad to celebrate and to inspire their club.
"For such a short period of time they came together really well as a team," a delighted Gosper said.
"They were a good team right across the field: whether they were new or experienced they they all stood up and did their job and that's why we were undefeated and won in the end. They were committed."
Saturday's contest was certainly worthy of a grand final - try for try most of the game.
"We never really had it won until the end," Gosper said.
Orange struck first in the final but Lachlan responded with Robinson finishing off a quick move to the right wing. She scored again in the 10th minute, diving across from dummy half.
Vipers regained ground with costly penalties and got Lily Stubbs over the line.
Stubbs scored again, followed by MacgGregor, to level the scores at 16-all at half time.
Lachlan struck fast, again through MacGregor, almost immediately in the second half.
Leah Haydon crossed the line for Vipers but MacGregor hit a big gap for her hat-trick try and Smede's conversions gave Lachlan a 28-20 lead.
Vipers put Paige Gibson over in the corner to close the gap, but it was Lachlan who remained ahead at full time - and held the premiership trophy high.
THE TEAM
LACHLAN 18S: 1 Elizabeth Macgregor 2 Kaitlyn Maloney 3 Izzy Miller 4 Charlie Robinson 5 Eliza Roylance 6 Teagan Smede 7 Kirby Maslin 8 Georgia Cole 9 Halle Woolnough 10 Maely Macgregor 11 Tyra Morrison 12 Ella Macgregor 13 Ellie Glasson 14 Alice Mattiske 15 Jess Tudgey 15 Alana Folau
It was pretty special, Gosper said, inspirational for the younger players in the new Lachlan club.
"It's good for the club too - for the younger girls to see what they can actually do," he said.
"Those girls stood up all year, played hard and won, it's good for those young ones to look up to."
It's also something for this squad to be proud of wherever they go in the next 12 months.
While they've loved this season, the sport and the competition, Gosper said, the age group these girls are in mean some of them will be headed away to study or even to explore the possibility of a future in the sport next year.
"Five of them are going to play (footy) in Sydney," Gosper said.
The coach hopes he'll have a continuum in the Under 18s and welcome some to the Lachlan Opens in 2024, because he's keen to continue with the club next year.
Gosper and his own girls are among those who have been making the road trips to compete with Woodbridge in the past few years, and he coached the Woodbridge Under 18s to premiership success in 2022.
LACHLAN DISTRICT WRL 28 (Maely MacGregor 3, Charli Robinson 2 tries; Teagan Smede 4 conversions) defeated ORANGE VIPERS 24 (Ella Gibson, Hope Gibson, Lily Stubbs, Leah Haydon, Paige Gibson tries; Georgie Barrett 2 conversions)
