The Maroons might have taken out this year’s State of Origin series but Strathfield Sports Club played a small part in getting one over the Queenslanders with our support of the U/10 Concord Burwood United Wolves at a junior rugby league tournament earlier this month.
The Club recently answered a call to come on board as a sponsor of the team to help them compete at the annual Gorden Tallis Cup in Townsville.
The Wolves were the first team from NSW to enter the event, which pitted them against 63 of the best junior teams from throughout Queensland.
This in itself was a remarkable achievement but we can proudly report that the boys proved to be young superstars – going all the way to win the Cup!
Under the guidance of coaches Andrew Mitchell and Terry Langi, the squad comprised of fullback Alex Conti, wingers Gary Young and Jacob Teaupa, centres Michael Nasser and Epeli Leao, halves Finlay Mitchell and Marc Tannous, hooker Levi Moon and forwards Edwin Langi, Jordan Reupena, Richie Smythe, Harry Phillips and Alesandro Lombardo.
The Concord Burwood United Wolves with Gorden Tallis and the Cup named in his honour.
They played nine 20 minute games over two days en route to the final where they claimed a convincing 8-4 win over the Wests Panthers, who were actually Gorden Tallis’ junior club and the defending champions from the past two tournaments.
It was a remarkable achievement that sparked wild celebrations amongst the boys and their families at full-time.
The Wolves are to be congratulated for representing themselves, their club and the local area with distinction, with their attacking style of play attracting many fans despite the inter-state rivalry.
They were great ambassadors for NSW junior rugby league and the Club is proud to be associated with the team.
Aside from the achievement of winning the tournament the Wolves have reported that the entire experience created many unforgettable memories.
From stepping on a plane for the first time for some, to mixing with kids from other communities and backgrounds, the boys forged new friendships and embraced the culture experience the trip proved to be.
“The aim is not necessarily to win the tournament, it’s about giving the boys a once in a lifetime opportunity to play in a Carnival like this and experience different cities and towns in Australia,” said co-coach Andrew Mitchell.
This kind of social immersion in our youth is something we keenly encourage at SSC and no doubt the boys will have learnt many valuable life lessons.
The Wolves with former rugby league great Darryl Brohman on The Footy Show.
News of the team’s success has gradually filtered throughout the rugby league and broader community with the boys making appearances on The Matty Johns Show, Triple M weekend league, the TWT newspaper and The Footy Show.
Sponsoring local clubs and organisations in the inner-west is something we have long been proud of at SSC, as the Club seeks to make a tangible difference in the community.
Once again on behalf of everyone at Strathfield Sports Club we’d like to congratulate the Concord Burwood Wolves on their achievement and look forward to extending our partnership into the future.