PHOTO: Back row [L to R]: Daryl Ruttley, Ian Ryan, Rodney Altman, Graham Woodham, Wayne Stewart, Ian Dent, Jim Imrie, Robert Skinner, Stuart Dougan, Warren Ferguson. [Front row] Stewart Woodham, Ron McEwen, Phillip Ryan, Johnny Boreham, Reg McEwen, Steve Ferguson, Macky Noonan and Jim Ewers.
THERE were a lot of relieved and excited faces around the Gular Showground on Saturday 27 August when the Gulargambone Rugby League Club were finally able to hold their long-awaited reunion at this year’s Gold Cup Races.
The reunion was organised by Macky Noonan and Steve Ferguson.
“It was to be a forty year reunion in 2020 but because of Covid it’s two years late,” Mr Ferguson said.
“It was a casual get together at the races and reminisce at the Gular Hotel and Bowling Club on Saturday night.”
Around 20 former players and one of their premiership winning coaches, John Boreham, gathered to reminisce and share stories about their triumphs in the 1980 and 1981 sides as part of the Group 14 second division.
Gulargambone formed to join in what started out as a pub competition in 1977/78 between Mendooran, Collie, Gular, Tooraweenah and Binnaway.
The competition proved very popular and, within a year, the Gil All Blacks had joined.
“The towns and villages really got behind their teams and without them it just wouldn’t have happened,” Mr Ferguson said.
“Games were played on Saturday afternoons so they didn’t clash with Group 14 division games on Sundays.”.
“With league being so popular at the time, players that were playing with Gilgandra, Coonamble and other clubs suddenly wanted to play Saturday football too,” he said.
“Sydney first grade footballers used to come up for our Presentation Night.”
[back row] Bob Imrie, Phillip Ryan, Wayne Tindall, Robert Skinner, Barry Miller, Tony Skinner, Stewart Dougan.
Steve Ferguson, Ron McEwen, Ray Jordan, Ian Dent,, Ken Leonard, Macky Noonan, Malcolm Woodham, Darryl Ruttley.
[front row] Reg McEwen, Michael Fuller and coach John Boreham.
When the comp first started people such as Bob Wasson, Rob Ramien, Ron and Ann Palmer, Leanne Skinner, Tanya Richardson, Wayne Webber as well as some of the players like Steve Ferguson, Macky Noonan, Malcolm Woodham and others formed the committee.
To begin with there were working bees at the school oval before games were moved to the Showground and in later years back to the town’s main oval.
Some of the first players were Reg McEwen, macky Noonan, Robert Skinner, Steve Ferguson, Ron McEwen, Larry Griffiths, Dick Milgate, Ian Dent, Malcolm Stewart, Graham Woodham, Jim Ewers, Wayne Tindall, Darryl Ruttley, Binga Ryan, Bob and Jim Imrie, Dave Milgate, Rod Altmann, Ken Leonard, Michael Fuller, Barry and Darcy Miller, Tony Skinner, Stuart Dougan, Jack Andrews, Bob Smith, Warren Ferguson, Coy Gray and Ray Jordan.
These players and more all played a part in reforming the club.
Their first coach was Peter Dent and Gulargambone made the grand final in 1979 but took a loss to Mendooran.
This was followed by two straight wins in 1980 and 1981.
“1980 saw a very strong year, with Coonamble and Coonabarabran also putting in sides,” Steve Ferguson said.
“We played the 1980 grand Final at the Showground with a lovely cover of catheads that made for a very fast game of football.”
“Gular defeated Coonamble 23-16 and the game was refereed by Bryson Luff,” he said.
Coach that year was John Boreham and Man of the Match Ron McEwen. Tony Skinner won the tackle count with 32, and the tries for Gulargambone were scored by M Noonan, S Ferguson, R McEwen, R Jordan and T Skinner with R Jordan kicking four goals.
In 1981, under coach Cameron Norton, the Galahs again took out the Grand Final this time defeating Mendooran 23 – 8 in Gilgandra.
Man of the Match went Merv Smith. Merv had the distinction of having also played in Gular in the 1960s.
Tries went to P Ryan, M Woodham, T Altmann, R Altmann and Merv Smith kicked four goals.
Rugby League continued to grow during the 1980s and it got to the stage where Group 14 had to take over control because it was proving very popular on Saturdays.
The team played until about 1984 after which the Club had a lull in proceedings and was re-started by Ken Skinner and his committee in 1988, coached by Wacky Pennell with a good representation of Coonamble boys joining the Galahs during this time.
Larry Griffiths and his committee re-started the committee in the 1990s.
Mr Ferguson said the reunion went off well.
“Some people arrived on Thursday because they didn’t want to miss it,” he said.
“Everyone was very pleased with how the day turned out.
“We had players come back who are living in Sydney and Newcastle but the main core are still situated in the western districts.”