Kootingal-Moonbi Rugby League Club has overachieved this year.
Regardless of how the season finishes, the Roosters can be proud of a Group 4 season that has seen the men’s side win the minor premiership. They host North Tamworth in Sunday’s major preliminary final.
The club’s league tag side, coached by Damian Allen, has also excelled.
Allen has put together a new-look side and has taken them to a major preliminary final showdown against unbeaten North Tamworth at Kootingal Oval on Sunday.
“It’s been a good season,” said club secretary Kevin Storch. “We can’t complain.
“Credit to our coaches, Geoff and Damien. They’ve both had new-look sides and done well.”
He added: “I think the new Group 4 has had a successful year. A lot of people have applauded us for putting a bit of life back into Group 4.”
Winning the first grade minor premiership is another first for the club, given it is playing in the revamped top-grade comp for the first time.
The Roosters have come from the now-defunct Second Division, where they celebrated plenty of success. Indeed, the Roosters won four Group 4 Second Division premierships in four successive years – 2001-02-03-04. Titles also followed in 2006 and 2015.
“We were just happy to be able to put a competitive side on the field this year,” Storch said of the men’s side.
“We never ever thought about winning it.”
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That they are now in a position to win their way through to the grand final is a credit to the players, coaches and officials.
“We have put ourselves in a position where we are up there with them (the best),” Storch said.
“We’ve also had such good support from our sponsors and we’ve also been able to add a few new sponsors as well and increased our sponsorship.”
Gate takings have gone up but the canteen is down due to the lesser number of home games.
The increased number of Sunday games has also been a killer for their major sponsor, the Kootingal Hotel.
“When we played on Saturday’s the supporters and players would stay on and celebrate at the pub but with the Sunday games, everybody has to work so they don’t hang around,” Storch said. “That makes it hard. [I] just don’t know what we can do to change that.”
He said it is unlikely the Roosters will be able to fund a second grade next season.
“We’ve got to crawl before we walk,” he said.
