One thing is for sure - the Dragons definitely punch above their weight when it comes to producing rugby league talent.

And it's not just family ties - even if three Stimsons, two Barretts and two Lynchs are part of their impressive list.

And it shows no signs of slowing down, in fact things are probably speeding up with three Dragons juniors making their debut in the past four seasons.

Joe Stimson joined father Peter and uncle Mark in making the grade when he debuted for Melbourne in 2017.

Two more Dragons juniors have joined since, St George Illawarra's Zac Lomax and Penrith's Liam Martin.

Joe Stimson was one of four Temora products who played in round two of this year's NRL season before coronavirus struck.

A season ending shoulder injury meant he wasn't among Lomax and North Queensland's Ben Hampton when the competition restarted.

With 20 players making it through to first grade, and plenty more in the lower grades, it is something the town is proud of.

"We've always been a sporting shire, always will be and I honestly believe our junior base has always been rock solid," Temora mayor Rick Firman said.

"People start league and (Aussie) rules when they are six-year-olds and they are nurtured.

"People over the generations, and to this day, give that genuine care, the concern and the time they spent with these up and coming sportsmen."

Leading the long list is Trent Barrett, who went from Temora to representing Australia 15 times plus played in 11 State of Origins games for NSW.

The former Manly coach is one of three Dragons juniors currently with assistant coaching roles in the NRL.

Now with Martin at Penrith, Barrett is joined by Ryan Hinchcliffe at Melbourne and Todd Payten with the New Zealand Warriors.

Others to make it include Steve Reardon, Brendon Reeves, Brent Firman and current Toronto Wolfpack player Josh McCrone.

Early on, Charlie Cornwell was part of Western Suburbs premierships in 1930 and 1934 and played two games for NSW in those seasons.

BY THE NUMBERS

Peter and Graeme Wynn also spent time in Temora in their early days while Gavin Price-Jones went on to represent Wales after time in the Raiders feeder system.

Not all have gone down the coaching path in the NRL with Reardon helping Temora to their last two Group Nine titles when he finished his 163-game career with Canterbury.

Reardon coached his hometown to the dramatic extra-time grand final win over Gundagai in 2004 and was part of their 2006 success as well.

But has it come at a big cost?

It's been a pretty barren time for the club on the field since then, with the Dragons not playing finals for over a decade, and then pulling out of any competition this year, but Reardon believes the last of the golden period of the club was built on the town's ability to produce a high level of player.

"At that time there was Pete Stimson and Mark Stimson still playing, Trev Krause was still playing so we had a fair team," Reardon said.

"It wasn't just me and is was good for Temora.

"Hopefully we can get back there soon."

Joe Stimson believes there is something about the way the town cares about the sport that produces a great environment for young talent to flourish.

Like many before him he left at a young age but played a handful of first grade games for the club on his path to the NRL.

"When you think about it there has been so many (from Temora)," Stimson said.

"I think it is just because it is such a proud rugby league town, everyone really cares about how the Dragons go and from a young age with the schoolboys and the coaching I've had they were some very quality coaches.

"They really cared a lot about your development and it was something everyone did back then, and still does. The players really got around it."

He rated Neville Elwin as among the best.

"Neville Elwin is probably one of the best coaches I've had - apart from the NRL guys." Stimson said.

"His knowledge of the game, having played a couple of games for Manly and the higher levels of country footy, meant he knew the game and he knew how to get the best out of his players. He taught me a lot."

However he was far from his only influence in town.

"I can just remember Dad and Mark playing in their last couple of years for Temora when I was ball boy," Stimson said.

"I remember going to training vividly, but not the NRL days.

"But Dad was really good, he has a good footy brain as well and helped me through a lot of things.

"He is always up playing a bit of backyard footy and probably the biggest help was when he was reviewing my games on our way home.

"He told me in a good and bad way what I did right and what I did wrong but never really pushed me into anything, which was nice."

Reardon was quick to add it's not just Temora with a strong pedigree for producing rugby league talent across Group Nine.

Young have produced three players to play NRL this season - Jordan McLean, Jack Hetherington and Angus Crichton - with Hetherington the third generation of his family to crack the top grade after joining grandfather Bill Mullins and uncle Brett Mullins when he made his debut for the Panthers in 2018.

However playing league was just a way for life for the aspiring young footballer in Temora.

"I'm the youngest of eight kids and I had heap of brothers and just wanted to play footy," Reardon said.

"You went to school or work and just looked forward to playing footy on the weekends.

"It is just what you did but then. There wasn't iPads or all distracting us. It was all about footy."

Growing up with watching the likes of Todd Payten and Josh McCrone playing in the NRL was another thing that inspired Stimson growing up.

"I loved watched them play and I barely knew them, I only knew them by name, but you had that connection with them both coming from Temora," he said.

"It gave you that bit of hope that while you are from a small town it's not that far away if you wanted to work for it.

"It is quite motivating really seeing guys from your hometown being so successful in your hometown like Josh and Todd were."

Not only did Stimson want to follow his father and uncle to make it to the NRL but he harboured ambitions closer to home.

He wanted to see his caricature put up on the walls of the Terminus Hotel.

Admitting Mark Hughes was kind with the size of his head in the likeness, it's somewhere a young Stimson dreamed of being.

"I always wanted to be on it," Stimson said.

The impressive display currently features 10 Temora juniors who have played, plus triple Hawthorn premiership player Luke Breust.

The Dragons secretary started doing them as a pet product but believes it's a great way to display the town's rich sporting history.

"I used to draw 100s if not 1000s of caricatures for people and thought why not draw the kids who have gone through our junior ranks to play in the NRL and sit them in the pub who was our junior league sponsor - the Termo - which is where they still are," Hughes said.

"It highlights we have all these kids who have come through our junior system and generally they are gone by the time they get to seniors, so we can't really claim we've done much with them.

"It is more recognition for the juniors as I think we definitely do produce higher than your average for a little town."

Stimson is the latest addition to have pride of place however he is working on his Zac Lomax and has plans to complete the set when time allows.

Lomax was actually in the first class Hughes taught, and he's turned into a much better footballer than he ever was a student, and likes to remind his old teacher he's waiting for his caricature whenever he comes home.

Reardon has three sons coming through the Dragons ranks, who are desperate to get back on the field this season, and is confident there are more to come for Temora's illustrious list.

"I think there is a few younger guys who have people looking at the moment," he said.

"I heard a whisper but won't divulge those names yet."

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