The smiles on the faces of the players said it all.
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The Western Rams under 16s side had every reason to celebrate on Saturday after adding another outstanding result to its catalogue.
The result wrapped up top spot in the southern conference and means our boys finished ahead of teams from the Canberra, Campbelltown, Wollongong Tamworth and Wagga regions.
We might be a little spoiled when it comes to rugby league success in these parts but that's still no small feat.
This side is undoubtedly one of the best junior teams Western has had in a number of years.
Taj Jordan, Cooper Townsend, Ravai Tulevu, Triston Ross. They're just some of the names to put in your little black book.
The Rams now have a semi-final to look forward to. And we should be looking forward to the chance to get out and support them as they chase the title of best in the bush.
Only we can't.
When the semi-finals are played on the weekend of April 16/17, Woy Woy and Singleton will be the hosts.
It just screams bush footy, doesn't it?
There are challenges this time of year when it comes to footy games in our region. Many grounds are out of action.
Apex Oval at Dubbo is undergoing work ahead of round one of the regular season in April while Orange's Wade Park is gearing up to host cricket finals. It's likely Bathurst council wouldn't want many games on its Carrington Park turf ahead of the Penrith Panthers coming to town on April 20.
But surely we can find something.
The main Glen Willow field at Mudgee is also out of action as it undergoes some rejuvenation after hosting a recent NRL trial match, but there's plenty of other grounds in that sporting complex.
Mid-Western Regional Council confirmed NSW Rugby League had reached out about hosting finals and an outer field was offered up, only to be rejected.
The reason hasn't been confirmed but surely even the most basic ground is worth it for these kids.
Who cares if it doesn't look as pristine or the facilities for live-streaming the match aren't ideal?
The semi-final could well be the highlight of some of these players' careers.
Ask anyone involved in the 2017 Western under 18s side which went through the Laurie Daley Cup undefeated. They'll tell you they got to win a title alongside people like Matt Burton and Charlie Staines, who have since gone on to successful NRL careers. That will last them a lifetime.
That team got to enjoy a home semi-final at Bathurst before a brilliant come-from-behind victory in extra-time in the decider at Cessnock.
This year's side faces the prospect of long road trips for both the semi-final and final, should it make it.
The Rams are all too used to travel but that doesn't mean they should just be lumped with it again.
Western may have a link with the Penrith Panthers but they still don't have the kind of resources these other sides do.
It's much easier for the Canberra and Illawarra sides to get together for training while the Western under 16s side which played at Narromine on Saturday had players everywhere from Coonabarabran to Lithgow. The original train-on squad also included a player from Cobar. It's a drive of more than six hours from Lithgow to Cobar, for those wondering.
This Rams side relies on a strong pre-season program, quality coaching and that great intangible, mateship.
That deserves to be celebrated.
But a team that has come together so well in a short period of time, won four-of-five group games, averaged close to 40 points a match and finished top of its group isn't rewarded with a home semi-final.
It's simply wrong.
Families and friends will now miss out on the chance to watch, too. Yes, you can check out the live-stream but that's not the same for the players who won't have as many people in the crowd yelling their names at finals time.
This Rams side celebrates the talent in our region. It's unfair we don't get to celebrate them.