Koori Knockout: Walgett take home spoils in "special" win over Wiradjuri in dramatic final day

Jarred Cross Published October 2, 2023 at 7.00pm (AWST)

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Walgett Aboriginal Connections claimed the 2023 Koori Knockout mens title over Wiradjuri Aboriginal Rivers 22-12 on Monday. (Image: Joseph Guenzler)

Tournament heavyweights Walgett Aboriginal Connections have snapped a nine-year wait to be crowned Koori Knockout champions with a gutsy win over Wiradjuri Aboriginal Rivers.

Despite leading early in the contest, Wiradjuri couldn't hold on to their lead for a huge upset in Monday's decider on the NSW Central Coast.

Thousands attended the carnival in steamy conditions across the October long weekend.

Wiradjuri, bolstered by former Kangaroo and NSW Blue Blake Ferguson and Cronulla half Braydon Trindall, threatened with the first two tries of the match before both sides contributed to a string of unforced errors leaving the door open for someone to take the game by control.

The stacked Walgett outfit, backed by Boxing Promotion Company No Limit and featuring the likes of Dally M Medal winners Ben Barba and Jack Wighton amongst a host of NRL players and country footy stars, levelled their heads to run out 22-12 winners.

Barba was lucky not to be sent off for a dangerous lifting tackle as the game hung in the balance before South Sydney Rabbitohs winger Isaiah Tass made an impressive scoreboard impact.

Latrell Siegwalt was named player of the tournament just hours after teammate and Manly-St George cult hero George Rose reportedly said it was a "travesty" the youngster didn't have an NRL contract.

*Latrell Siegwalt was named player of the tournament and took home the mens Koori Knockout with Walgett. (Image: Joseph Guenzler)*

It was "very special" to get the win for captain and former Dragon, Raider and Sea Eagle Joel Thompson.

Walgett fell to this year's host Newcastle All Blacks in the corresponding match in 2022 at Nowra.

"The group we have been and the young guys coming through for us is something I haven't seen before," he told National Indigenous Times.

"Last year we let ourselves down. We were very busted. We had no troops. But this year we came in and we had no excuses. We just got on with it and got the job done."

Despite a slow start and fumbly middle period, Thompson said the team fought to come together and reset in the later stages.

"We just got back to playing with heart, getting in their face and making it really tough for them..They (Wiradjuri) have got a quality side but we wanted to make it as difficult as we could against them," he said.

Walgett had been the topic of some controversy earlier in the tournament after a fight erupted during their match again Sydney All Blacks, which extended into the crows, on Saturday.

After progressing through the hotly-contested field, they celebrated with emotion after lifting the trophy for the first time since 2014.

Prior to the mens final, Newcastle Yowies and Redfern All Blacks played out an agonising final in the womens draw.

After a neck-and-neck wrestle, the Yowies unsuccessfully attempted to split the difference with two late drop-goal attempts as the clock wound down - the second ricocheting off the left upright.

Their third, in extra time, sailed over for the win to an electric response from the crowd.

Newcastle All Blacks president and 2023 organiser Uncle Edward Smith told National Indigenous Times while he might be biased, he thinks this years carnival might be the best ever, and a true display of what the Knockout is and can be.

"Its been a great event...some really magnificent football played," he said.

"You see a lot of grassroots football (here). It's where a lot of our players come from..this is where they began.

"This helps promote that - our young men and women in the rugby league world."