West Wyalong Mallee Men

**West Wyalong Mallee Men**
Club information
Full name	West Wyalong Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	Mallee Men
Colours	Red; Black
Founded	1911
Current details
Ground(s)	Ron Crowe Oval;
Competition	Group 20 Rugby League
Records
Premierships	11 (1938, 1960, 1965–66 (Group 9); 1968, 1970, 1984, 1989, 2005, 2011–12 (Group 20))

The West Wyalong Mallee Men are a rugby league club based in the town of West Wyalong in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1911, the team is the joint oldest in the state outside of Sydney and Newcastle alongside the North Tamworth Bears.^[1]

History

Organized rugby league began in West Wyalong in 1911, after the game rapidly spread to the area's goldfields from Sydney. The current club is a continuation of the body that was formed to govern the game in the region at this early stage.^[1]

West Wyalong joined the Group 9 Rugby League in the 1920s and won four premierships in the competition in 1938, 1960, 1965 and 1966. It was also during this period that West Wyalong competed for the famed Maher Cup, playing 152 challenge matches, fourth all-time only behind Cootamundra, Young and Gundagai.^[2]

In 1966, with the advent of the breakaway Murrumbidgee Rugby League which involved a number of clubs from both Group 9 and Group 20, the Group 9 competition, won by West Wyalong in all three grades, was severely weakened.^[1]

Thus, in 1967, the remaining eight Group 9 clubs were split up, with some going to Group 8, while West Wyalong, along with Temora and Barmedman, joined Group 20 to form Group 9/20. West Wyalong won the Group 9/20 First Grade competition in 1968 and 1970.^[1]

However, once the rebel clubs were brought back into the establishment at the end of the 1970 season, boundary redistributions meant that West Wyalong remained in Group 20, where the club has competed ever since.

In that time, West Wyalong has won five further Group 20 premierships, in 1984, 1989, 2005, 2011 and 2012.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

Premierships

First Grade (11): 1938, 1960, 1965, 1966; 1968, 1970, 1984, 1989, 2005, 2011, 2012

Reserve Grade (13): 1950, 1966, 1967, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

Ladies League Tag (1): 2013

Under 18 (7): 1962, 1965, 1966, 1981, 1999, 2000, 2008

Under 16 (4): 1971, 1974, 1982, 1993

Annual Events

Since 1970, the West Wyalong club holds a pre-season knockout tournament, with teams from all over the state travelling to participate in the two-day festival of football at Ron Crowe Oval.^[7]

West Wyalong also plays annual pre-season fixtures against Group 9 side Temora for the Kelly Cup, and Group 17 club Rankins Springs for the Kiawarra Cup.^[8]

West Wyalong Knockout Winners 1970-2010

1970: West Wyalong
1973: Bathurst Railway
1974: Temora
1975: Dubbo CYMS
1976: Cootamundra
1977: Forbes
1978: Dubbo Macquarie
1979: Dubbo Macquarie
1980: Dubbo Macquarie
1981: Dubbo Westside
1982: Dubbo Macquarie
1983: Darlington Point-Coleambally
1984: Parkes
1985: Forbes
1986: Forbes
1987: Temora
1988: Forbes
1989: Blayney
1990: West Belconnen
1991: Griffith Waratahs
1992: West Wyalong
1993: Temora
1994: West Wyalong
1995: Cowra
1996: Blayney
1997: Bathurst Penguins
1998: Orange Hawks
1999: Cootamundra
2000: Wagga Kangaroos
2001: Cowra
2002: Bathurst St Pats
2003: Temora
2004: Newcastle
2005: Yanco-Wamoon
2006: Newcastle
2007: Newcastle
2008: Wagga Brothers
2009: Wagga Kangaroos
2010: Wagga Kangaroos

Source: ^[1]

Notable players