Harden Red Devils President and Outside Centre Ben Lenehan, with Harden Inside Centre and Coach Jack O’Connor, alongside Delta Managing Director Gerard Hines. Delta is Harden’s major sponsor. They are pictured near Kingsvale on Thursday.

It’s just over 24 hours from kick off in the Oilsplus South West Rugby Union Grand Final and the Times took the time, to talk to Young Coach Ned Mullany, Harden Coach Jack O’Connor and Delta’s Managing Director Gerard Hines, the major sponsor of the Harden Red Devils.

The Devils are making their 3rd Grand Final appearance in as many years and will be hoping to win on Saturday, which would give them 2 from 3.

The success of the Devils has not been an overnight success. The Club has been around for over 40 years and has had its ups and downs like any bush club. They have recorded First Grade premierships in 2004 and 06 and again in 2018 as well as making last year’s Grand Final.

Harden’s Jack O’Connor has seen it all, from running a kicking tee out to club legends James Lenehan and Danny Flanery in the mid to late 90s, to now leading the club through a new era. His family’s connections run deep with cousins and uncles littering Devils’s sides over the last 4 decades. Jack’s father John a highly successful player and Coach has been chipping in on the barbecue lately, helping wherever he can and making sure the players are fed. It is a club effort which has resulted in where the Devils are today and where they are tomorrow.

Jack O’Connor said, “It’s definitely been a group effort, the success we have had in the last few years has been through the group.”

Jack steps in as the head coach when he has to. He is humble in that he admits to getting the boys to training twice a week and on Saturdays. But it is more than just getting bums on seats. He has the respect of his fellow team mates and they see how much the success of the Devils means to him and he knows how important the success of the Devils as a team and a club means to the players.

He said, “The level of experience and talent we have is very good. I have learnt in my stint of coaching to surround yourself with the best people. Craig Bellamy said that. Bringing guys in like James Price, Adam Walsh and Josh Mann-Rea, these guys have played at the top level and all over the world between them. We have 19 and 20 year olds at one end and the Johnny Manchesters who provide so much wisdom at the other end.”

“A lot of our younger guys in the forwards were good players before and some have come from a league background. To have these older guys around, you see the younger guys lift.”

“I have been extremely fortunate to have the depth we have had but also the type of personalities who have been understandable. We have never had one person say ‘I only want to play here’ they understand it’s about the team.”

Jack said, “We have never played the same backline or forward pack all year. We have rotated players and played guys across 3 or 4 positions, 1-15.”

This year’s success has also been dependent on the junior Devils going back 10, 15 and 20 years, now coming through the ranks.

Charlie Brown and Jack Alcorn have come back to Harden alongside Judd Kerrison. They all played junior Rugby League and junior Rugby Union. Kerrison has been commuting from Canberra each week in a huge display of commitment to the side.

Ed McGeoch has been another revelation for Harden. Jack said, “He is the nicest guy you will meet, he will knock a fellow back to the 50s with one of his big hits, but he will help him back up again.”

Jack said the success of the club has been boosted by the success of the She Devils this year and the contribution of the ladies within the club over the last few years. The She Devils not only recorded their first win this season, but came within a win of making the Grand Final themselves.

O’Connor is wary of Young. He said, “They are a scarily similar side to us, they play a fast game of footy, they have some quick backs and some mobile forwards, they probably have a bigger pack than us. We have always known we have been a smaller team and that means you need to be fitter.”

O’Connor acknowledged the relationship he has with Young Coach Ned Mullany. They both agree that Saturday is about young men playing Rugby. It has provided a physical, social and mental aspect which allows both communities to have something to look forward to during Covid-19.

Mullany can best be described as a Yabbies stalwart. He has been around longer than most and is looking forward to the opportunity to take on Harden after he led his side to a come from behind victory, to secure the Yabbies a Grand Final on Saturday.

Ned said, “We are feeling good, there is plenty of excitement around the club, there has been a good feeling at training this week. We know Harden are going to be a hard team to play.”

When asked what got the Yabbies home in a nail biter last weekend, Ned said, “We hung in, we hung in, we hung in. Really, even though we were down at half time, chat was good. It was don’t change what we are doing. We got a couple of lucky bounces and the momentum changed. It came down to the 80th minute. For this weekend,  both teams will be better sides than we were in round one. There is a great culture between the two clubs, I think it will be a good, hard tough game of bush rugby.” 

Delta’s Managing Director Gerard Hines spoke with the Times on Thursday. The major sponsor of the Harden Red Devils, Delta has been operating since 2006 and they have been sponsoring sides throughout their network, since the company began. He said, “We have been really proud to support them when they have needed it and to see such success and what that brings to a town and a regional community like Harden-Murrumburrah is terrific as a major supporter.”

   Delta’s name is proudly stated across the front of the Devil’s jerseys. Gerard acknowledged that it has been a difficult time in agriculture over the last few years and went on to say. “It is a great comp and the participating towns go back a long way and it is great to see local derbys back again and in a safe environment which is really critical. Community interaction and support of each other is really critical apart from the fitness aspect.”

Delta now operates across 43 locations in Victoria, New South Wales and Southern Queensland. The business is based around supplying advice and technical support to their clients, including their farm inputs. They also help their clients in maximising their returns by grain marketing and livestock marketing as well as insurance and real estate. They are a broad spectrum agri services business which invests heavily in regional communities. Many of their staff are shareholders working within the group. 

 They are community focussed, their business model is to add value to their clients and good outcomes for their customers. 

Delta’s involvement with the Red Devils has proved to be a boon for the local side with the players proud to wear the Delta brand across their chests.

Gerard said, “I would like to wish the Devils all the best. It should be a great game, two fantastic communities coming together with a lot of friendships and history which crosses over. Regardless of who wins, it will be a fantastic spectacle.”

Tickets will not be available at the gate on Saturday at Robert’s Park. The Condobolin Ewes will take on the Temora Tuskerettes at 2:00pm before the First Grade Kick Off between Harden and Young at 3:15pm. On Thursday morning Central West Rugby made the following announcement

“Unfortunately the OILSPLUS South West Cup Grand Final has been sold out. Everyone, including the CWRU shares the frustration of the 500 person Covid 19 limit and we all wish we could support our Clubs. If you do not have a ticket please do not attend the ground. For those of you who do not have a ticket please feel free to stay at home or go to your Club’s watering hole and enjoy the live streaming the CWRU has organised. Please use the link https://www.thestreamingguys.com.au/production/cwru-2020/

If you are lucky enough to have a ticket, we ask that you PLEASE bring your own chair. This will assist with social distancing and licensing requirements.”

   Special thanks must go to Central West’s, Matt Tink, who has guided the competition through a difficult time. 

Young Yabbies

Coach Ned Mullany

Managers, Cam Rosser and Tom Wills

1. Hagon Williams (VC)
2. Will Mundy
3. Jack Mullany
4. Hamish Kaverney
5. Gus Howard  (C)
6. Henry Holmes
7. Dan Parker
8. Tom Kent
9. Charlie Pittman
10. Will Wennerbom
11. Brendan Shoard
12. Ned Mullany
13. Michael Stallard
14. Nick Shiller
15. Jack Mann
16. Jesh Smith
17. Oscar Luff
18. Hamish Spackman
19. Dan O’Connor
20. Beau O’Connor
21. Kyle Cormie
22. Tom Turner
23. Will West
24. Adam Bowen
25. Jake chandler

Harden Red Devils

Coach Jack O’Connor

Managers, Chris Ryan and Haydn Dunhill

1. Josh Mann-Rae
2. Jack Quinn
3. Adam Walsh
4. Jack Rudd
5. Henry Messner
6. Jim Honner
7. Charlie Brown
8. James Wallis (VC)
9. James Price
10. Tom Lenehan
11. Judd Kerrison
12. Jack O’Connor
13. Ben Lenehan
14. Eddie McGeoch
15. Shahid Khalfan (C)
16. James Willets
17. Jeremy Martin
18. Gus Shea
19. Jack Alcorn
20. Sam Mckillop
21. Toby Haydon
22. Jarrod Medly
23. Max Hogan
24. Jacob Taylor
25. Max O’Connor
26. Johnny Manchester
27. Charlie Greer