Wagga Tigers will look to take the final step in a remarkable transformation in Saturday's Riverina League grand final.
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When Tigers coach Troy Maiden was appointed 12 months ago, he had the task in front of him. Tigers had won just two games for the year and finished in eighth spot.
On Saturday, Tigers will strive to return to the top of the Riverina League again and be the first club since Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong in 1991 to win a premiership after not playing the finals the year prior.
"I probably would have looked at you and said I hope you're right," Maiden said if told of what would transpire in 2019 12 months ago.
"But we knew we had a lot of work to do. Obviously first and foremost we had to recruit, recruit well, so we went after a lot of our guys that had left the club. To get those back, guys that had invested in the club, get them to buy in as quickly as we could.
"Did we think we'd be here, who knows, we obviously wanted to improve and we knew there was going to be a lot of hard work but credit to the playing group, they put that hard work in and I guess we're here now."
Maiden said while he has enjoyed his return to senior coaching, the rise up the ladder has not been straight forward.
"I wouldn't say easy. Coaching's not easy. It can be frustrating at times, very enjoyable at times but with the group, they've played a lot of footy, played good level of footy and they are mature for their age, but they still are young," he said.
"So it's me giving them a guiding hand, putting tools in place that hopefully they can take on."
It will be Maiden's first grand final as senior coach on Saturday. He is no stranger to success though having been a playing assistant in Turvey Park's 2002 premiership and ran the bench in Tigers' 2009 success.
He said while he would love to tick off a premiership as coach, it is not about him.
"It would be great but it's more important for the club and the players. It's more them than me," he said.
"It's something down the track that you walk in and you're name's up on the board with premiers beside it, which is fantastic, but right here and right now, it's about the footy club and the players, not me."
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