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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Notable players
Bill Bray Bob Broad Keith Broad William Brogan Lionel Cooper Ron Cooper Ron Crowe David Curry Bob Farrar Cec Fifield Lou Goodwin Matt Goodwin Len Jamieson Tom Leggo Clyde Lemon Rod Pilon Ron Pilon Col Ratcliff Alan Ridley Ray Steele Bob Taber Aaron Wheatley
Source:
See also Group 20 Rugby League Northern Riverina Football League
References