Biggest sport stories of 2018 | Year in review

It was the kind of news no one wanted.

Tumbarumba with its proud rugby league history announced they were withdrawing from Group Nine.

There was plenty of meetings and potential solutions offered after the surprise discussion in January, which also opened up a can of worms over how long the Group Nine season should be after dropping down to 10 teams, before a decision was made to go into recess.

Luckily for the Greens, they are given an unexpected lifeline and rugby league will be back in the town in 2019 with their acceptance into the Murray Cup.

The MIA Breeders Plate found a new timeslot in 2018, but it didn’t slow any action on the track.

In fact Stephen Maguire’s Major Roll set a new race record with an impressive win in the Riverina’s most prestigious race.

The Women’s Big Bash came to town and the hot conditions didn’t stop plenty of fast-flowing action.

Sydney Thunder had mixed results from the doubleheader with Adelaide Strikers.

They won the first clash but went down in a super over in the second.

No Mankad or not to Mankad was the talk of Wagga Cricket circles after Jon Nicoll pulled out the controversial dismissal in Wagga City’s clash with Wagga RSL.

While there was never a dispute of the legality of the dismissal of Sam Perry it left plenty talking about whether it was in the spirit of the game.

The Country Championships is the time for local gallopers to shine and O’So Hazy did just that for Wagga trainer Scott Spackman.

She took out the Southern Districts qualifier which set her on a path to a third in the final and then a place in the first running of the Kosciuszko later in the year.

South Wagga’s horror run in grand finals continued as rain determined the Wagga Cricket premiership.

Lake Albert claimed a second title in three seasons after the decider was washed out with the minor premiers well placed.

Former Queensland’s State of Origin player Dane Nielsen’s tenure at Junee was short-lived with the would-be coach dumped after a wild weekend.

It left the Diesels without a leader, and their star recruit, just weeks out from the season but they responded with Jim Vatubuli coming in at the 11^th hour to led them in a return to finals.

Former Fijian international Marika Vunibaka was barred for three games when the Leeton coach got caught in a nasty altercation on the sidelines.

Punches were thrown in the incident which marred the start of the Phantoms premiership defence.

Both Wagga Tigers coach Shaun Campbell and Turvey Park counterpart Truman Carroll missed the start of the Riverina League year after being cited and then suspended during practice matches.

It was a start neither club wanted and didn’t help their finals chances.

There was plenty for the locals to cheer for as Tye Angland claimed the Wagga Gold Cup with Life Less Ordinary.

It was the first time the Wantabadgery Wonder had taken out the big race and handed part owner Richard Pegum another win in the feature he holds so fondly.

Adding to Temora’s bulging list of NRL players, Zac Lomax made his debut for St George Illawarra and what a year it has been.

The centre, who has played a plethora of representative games in the juniors, capped it off as part of the Prime Minister’s XIII team in Papua New Guinea.

Kildare Catholic College went back-to-back in the Carroll Cup after running over the top of Mater Dei Catholic College in the final.

Led by Riley Corbett, who was the Riverina League highest goalscorer this season, Kildare cemented themselves as Wagga’s premier schoolboy team.

To celebrate their milestone, the Bombers named their best ever side, re-signed premiership winning coach Shane Lenon and set in motion another massive season for the club.

It shaped as a massive year for the Australian women’s sevens side and despite a Commonwealth Games silver and a World Cup bronze, the team’s consistency helped Wagga’s only Olympic gold medal winner Alicia Quirk to a World Series crown.

North Wagga and the wider Australian rules community where shocked by the sudden illness that left ruckman Josh Hanlon fighting for his life.

Then they were inspired by the 20-year-old’s bravery, and the flow of support for him, as the Saints surged to a grand final appearance.

Days after playing part in another Ag College win, the university club were shocked by the sudden death of Andy Stanham.

With his zest for life in their memory, Aggies were determined to play on and days later are back on the field and eventually fight their way to the grand final.

And it’s not a reference to teams.

Premiers Leeton had coach Marika Vunibaka and Soli Fili ruled out for not playing enough games in the regular season, Vunibaka only had six of the required seven, but fellow premiers Marrar worked the system to see late recruits Curtis Allen and Fred Sleeth qualify.

They spent plenty of time on the road, but the kilometres were worth it for Wagga Blaze as they take out the Waratah League Division One.

With US import Shakera Barnes leading the way, the underdogs proved too good in their grand final

For the second time in three years, Waratahs went through the season undefeated with a win over Ag College in the Southern Inland decider.

Adding to their efforts, they set a pointscoring record along the way and won all three men’s grand finals.

September is finals time and there were plenty of familiar faces in the biggest grand finals across the region.

For the third year running Southcity and Gundagai played off in the Group Nine decider but this time it was the Tigers taking the prize.

Collingullie-Glenfield Park went one better in the Riverina League this season while Marrar completed their centenary celebrations with back-to-back premierships in the Farrer League

While he couldn’t play alongside his North Wagga teammates, Josh Hanlon walking onto Robertson Oval days after receiving his prosthetic legs was the moment of the grand final with all eyes on an emotional coin toss.

Riverina Lions had lost their first six grand finals, including five in the last eight seasons, but finally came away with the prize.

They had been a force to be reckoned with all season but came through a thriller helped by league medal winner Eliza Oates.

Louis Grigg produced when his team needed him.

The 16-year-old not only took a hat-trick, but completed a four-wicket maiden over to help Wagga City down South Wagga in a Twenty20.

Wagga Sloggers continue to prove their first win over Border Bullets wasn’t a fluke in the Regional Bash with another win.

However they missed out on a return to the SCG with ACT Aces proving too strong at Robertson Oval.

Sticking with the cricket, Wagga’s Sheffield Shield match was taken away due to concerns over the pitch.

In what would have been the city’s second elite cricket match of the year, and second Shield match ever, the conditions at Robertson Oval were found not to be up to scratch. 

Decades of administrative experience was ushered out at a dramatic Group Nine annual general meeting.

Long serving president Jack Morton, treasurer Brian Walker and Ray Carr all failed to get back on the board, and with Larry Collins and Ken Keenan resigning in the weeks later, it will be a new era for Group Nine in 2019.

Wagga City Wanderers announced plans to join Canberra’s National Premier League competition after years of toil further along the Hume Highway.

The move links them with their women and expands their junior program.

Jake Barrett came straight from the Brisbane Lions to Coolamon as the Hoppers snapped up the chance to add some AFL talent to their playing stocks.

Wagga Tigers and Turvey Park are set to add plenty to what is usually a quiet Easter weekend with Good Friday footy coming to the Riverina League for only the second ever time.

After 65 years at the Wagga Showground, harness racing bid farewell to the Turvey Park circuit on a big night.

Awaiting them is a larger, purpose track in Cartwrights with the new action set to get under way in February.