Rugby league
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CAPITALISING on the support garnered through NSW's State Of Origin series win, coach Laurie Daley returned to the Riverina with a heroes' welcome.
The Mortimer Shield wasn't the only trophy hundreds of junior rugby league and league tag players wanted to get their hands on yesterday - Daley and the Origin shield were the star attractions.
A chance be like Paul Gallen and lift the prized trophy was a opportunity many students couldn't resist as they got a touch of something that eluded NSW for eight years.
Most wouldn't remember a NSW series victory, and that's one reason why Daley thought being able to bring the trophy to the Riverina was so important.
"For us to be able to bring the shield back here is very significant as at the end of the day when we represent NSW, we represent everyone in NSW and a lot of these kids have seen NSW win," Daley said.
"While we are enjoying I think the people of NSW should be able enjoy it as well.
"For us to be bring it out here for the Mortimer Shield and again on the weekend for the Junee carnival, where there will be thousands of kids given the chance to touch it and have photos with, I think that is pretty special."
With a record breaking number of teams in the Mortimer Shield this season, Daley saw the massive numbers as a sign of growing support for rugby league.
"I think the game is growing, there was two extra gala days put on this year to cope with the teams that wanted to play and the Junee carnival is going to be the biggest its ever been," Daley said.
"There is a lot of support for the game and off the back of NSW winning there is a lot of support there and we need to capitalise and do as much as we can."
Daley and the shield will return for the Riverina Schoolboys Carnival on Saturday and although he returned to his hometown for the largest rugby league carnival in NSW last year, with the shield in tow he expects it to have a different feeling.
Despite representing Australia and winning origin series as a player, breaking the eight-year drought as a coach was more of an emotional experience for Daley.
He could only compare winning the 1989 grand final with the Raiders as being on par as the leading the Blues to the historic series victory.
As Daley returned to the Riverina and watched future stars of the game play, it brought back memories of his road to the top of the sport.
"It's always good to come down here to the Riverina, there is some very special memories," he said.
"There was a Buckley Shield game going on before and I actually played Buckley Shield when I was growing up in Junee so it's always good to be back, seeing the kids having a great time."