Sport
22 February, 2025
Roar for the return of Mendooran Tigers
Mental health, social benefits, and giving people hope are the drivers for Tigers committee.
Lucy Pickering loves Mendooran and can’t wait for a community lift in 2025 with the return of the rugby league side, Mendooran Tigers.
Morale around town is high with the news the Tigers uniform will be back this year, with the Mendooran Tigers set to play rugby league for the first time in 39 years.
The Tigers are aligning with the Dunedoo Swans to act as Dunedoo’s reserve grade side, but wearing the famous gold and black Mend-ooran colours.
The Mendooran Tigers secretary was asked what it means for the small community (urban population of 275 and locality population of 626 in the 2021 census) to have rugby league again after having no team since 1986, Lucy said it was huge for well-being.
“It’s evident … when you go to the pub there are conversations held (about this),” she said.
“There is a boost in morale in the town just talking about this and (now) it actually coming to fruition.
“It’s keeping everyone excited … eager to have something. We can see there are going to be some exciting days trekking over to Dunedoo for home games and everywhere else we go in between (for away matches). It gives everyone something to look forward to.
“I feel football is a sport that doesn’t have discrimination on anyone. Anyone can go, anyone can play. As a community … having the Tigers and having the trail behind them, it’s going to be exciting.”
With many people being able to see the benefits for the community, the area’s residents are keen for this to be a long-term success and happy to help.
“It’s been extremely proactive …. Everyone has been there to get really good decisions made. People are following up on that,” Lucy said.
“While we have our seven constitution-based (committee) members, it’s been a team effort and it seems to be growing. They all just want to be a part of it.”
Players have been gathered from mates, relatives of ex-players and people that have moved to town.
Most players recruited at this stage have a connection to Mendooran, with 24 players expressing interest.
And Lucy knows that getting a team back on a rugby league field will have enormous benefits every day of the week, not just Saturdays.
“There is a purpose that it is a great thing for mental health out in a rural area,” she said.
“We’re really aware of what this is doing for the players and everyone around them that is backing this.
“The fact that it that it is giving blokes the chance to do something a bit different on a weekend. It’s fit, it’s active and they will build camaraderie.
“It could be the one thing a bloke is looking forward to this year, either playing or watching Mendooran play. It’s a key reason why we wanted to push this and give our community something to do.”
Mendooran’s return continues a positive time for the Castlereagh League.
Last year the Coolah Kangaroos returned and won the competition, while the Warren Bulldogs will make its comeback to the league in 2025.
The Castlereagh League official first grade and league tag premierships kick-off on April 26. Castlereagh League’s reserve grade competition, where Mendooran will play under the Dunedoo umbrella, is a shorter competition.
Reserve grade will commence on either June 28 or July 5, either round nine or 10 of the first grade and league tag competitions, having either five or six rounds before finals.
The social benefits and great footy history
Like many good ideas, the rebirth of Mendooran’s rugby league side after 39 years in the footballing wilderness first started with pub conversation.
It was April 2024, and the Mendooran Tigers were hosting a re-union to honour the premiership sides from 1983 to 1985.
At that time, it was new publican Scott Murray’s second week at the Royal Hotel Mendooran.
As Geoff Mann reported in the Dubbo Photo News last year before the reunion: “The small town of Mendooran’s rugby league Tigers were once described by Rugby League Week legend, the late, great, Ian Heads, as “The mouse that roared”.
“The tag came after the club won three successive Group 14 Premierships from 1983–85 and became the team to beat in the famous regional competition.
“Mendooran had competed over the years in local challenge matches against the likes of Gulargambone, Quambone, and Tooraweenah, before stepping into Group 14 against the bigger towns like Coonabarabran, Baradine, Coon-amble, Gilgandra, and Dunedoo.
“Success was almost immediate as Alan ‘Wacka’ Bull, who had himself played with Mudgee and Dunedoo, led the Tigers to their first premiership in 1983.
“Steve ‘Bear’ Hall came over from Dubbo Macquarie, after forging a reputation at Walgett and Coonamble, the next year while former Coonabarabran half, Graham Suckley completed the trifecta in 1985.
“Hall’s team created history when they downed competition hot-shots, Coonamble by 64-4 in a massacre at Gilgandra.
“Sadly, Bear Hall is no longer with us, but his legacy will be the centre of attention at the Mendooran Hotel.”
Perhaps with some enthusiasm and being new to town, Scott Murray got excited about the chat at the reunion, with no doubt some of the information above forming part of conversations.
“I guess he got to meet the fellas, and get a vibe of what the Tigers meant to then, and still does to this day,” Mendooran Tigers secretary Lucy Pickering said.
“He had a few conversations with people and it’s led to where we are now.”
First, there was a working meeting to consider reforming the Mendooran Tigers that 12 people attended.
That led to formulating lists for both player and volunteer expression of interests, and enthusiasm was high with many people wanting to pull on the boots or help.
“So it was clear we could keep working on it, so we did,” Lucy said.
Regular meetings followed.
Then there was dialogue with Castlereagh Rugby League and existing neighbouring club the Dunedoo Swans and a plan was formed for Mendooran to enter the league in reserve grade.
While many details still need to be finalised, the basic plan is that Mendooran will follow Dunedoo in the draw and act as the Swans’ reserve grade side.
The gold and black Mendooran colours will be seen in reserve grade.
Dunedoo will field first grade and league tag sides and Mendooran will use existing facilities at Dunedoo for home matches.
Players from both Dunedoo and Mendooran will be able to see what level of play suits them and put their hands up to play first grade, reserve grade, or sometimes both.
“We made sure that it was a benefit to both clubs,” Lucy said.
“It gives us the option to supplement each team if either of us are low.
“We are still fine-tuning things with Dunedoo and we are very fortunate to be able to partner with them.
“We want to hold the most integrity to the Dunedoo Swans with first grade first … we are wanting to make sure they are sustained before anything.
“It’s worked very well for us to be able to get the Tigers back up and going and give the Mendooran community an identity.”
The Castlereagh Rugby League season will commence on April 5 with the annual league tag knockout at Baradine, followed by the youth league and first grade knockouts at Warren on April 12.
The first competition round is set down for April 26.
Mendooran Tigers will be seen in action a little later in the season, with the Castlereagh League reserve grade competition starting on either June 28 or July 5, 2025.
Castlereagh League’s reserve grade competition, where Mendooran will play under the Dunedoo umbrella, is a shorter competition.
CRL reserve grade will commence in either round nine or 10 of the first grade and league tag competitions, having five or six rounds before finals.
