Finals heartbreak fails to dim Junee Diesels’ resurgence

JUNEE’S remarkable rugby league resurgence has been dealt a double dose of finals heartbreak, with the club’s Under 16s falling one win short of the ultimate Group 9 crown and first grade bowing out after a season that re-established the Diesels as a force in the competition.

The two sides saw their 2026 campaigns come to an end on Saturday, September 5, but both walked away with plenty to be proud of after seasons which underlined the growing strength of rugby league in Junee.

For the Junior Diesels’ Under 16s, Saturday’s Group 9 Championship Round represented the final chapter of an extraordinary junior campaign.

Fresh from claiming the Northern Pool title with a thrilling 22-20 victory over Temora at Loftus Oval a week earlier, Junee travelled to Wagga looking to complete its finals charge against Southern Pool winners Wagga Kangaroos.

But the Kangaroos proved too strong in the ultimate decider, defeating the Diesels 26-12 to claim the Group 9 crown.

Junee Diesels’ Under 16s following the Championship Round against Wagga Kangaroos at Geohex Park | Image: Facebook/Scott Mcdonald

The result left Junee as Group 9 runners-up, bringing an end to a campaign which saw the young Diesels surge through two do-or-die Northern Pool finals before earning their shot at the overall title.

It also brought the curtain down on junior football for a talented group which has enjoyed a remarkable run of success in recent weeks.

Eight members of the Diesels side were also part of Junee High School’s history-making Under 16s team which last month claimed the school’s first NSW Small Schools rugby league shield in more than 30 years.

Ben Field, Angus Baldry and Blake Sweeney also finished among Group 9’s leading try scorers this season, while Sweeney was among the competition’s most prolific point scorers.

Junee Diesels’ Under 16s following their grand final win against Temora at Loftus Oval | Image: Supplied/Angela Butt

While Saturday’s result wasn’t the ending they had hoped for, the message to the players afterwards was overwhelmingly one of pride.

The side was praised for fighting “tooth and nail” for one another throughout the season, backing their teammates when the going got tough and buying into the process established by coaches Mitch Sweeney and Peter Hayman.

With many of the players now preparing to make the transition into Under 18s and senior football, the future of the Diesels appears to be in good hands.

First grade resurgence ends in thriller

There was heartbreak for Junee’s senior men as well, with a finals campaign that promised plenty brought to an abrupt end by Southcity.

The Bulls defeated the Diesels 22-18 in a gripping elimination final at Laurie Daley Oval on Saturday, ending Junee’s first Group 9 finals appearance in eight years.

Image: Junee Diesels

But the defeat did little to diminish what has been a significant season for a club celebrating its centenary.

Just five years after a player crisis left Junee unable to field a first grade side in 2021 and 2022, the Diesels have re-emerged as a genuine contender.

A stunning six-game winning streak to close out the regular season propelled Junee into third position and secured the club a long-awaited return to finals football.

Image: Junee Diesels

Co-coach Damian Willis said the club was in a “really good spot”.

“I think the club has come a long way from not being able to field a side in 2021 to now being a force in Group Nine again,” Willis told the Daily Advertiser.

“That’s the positive thing.

“Our recruitment manager Vano [Simon Vanzanten] did a really good job at getting these boys together, they really gelled as a team and as a club and I think the whole club is very optimistic as well.”

The result means Junee’s wait for another first grade premiership will extend beyond the 40th anniversary of its famous 1986 grand final triumph.

One Diesels dream remains alive

While Saturday brought the end of two memorable campaigns, Junee’s 2026 finals journey isn’t finished yet.

The Diesels’ women’s tackle side remains firmly in the premiership hunt and will have its final opportunity this weekend to secure a place in the Group 9 grand final.

Their continued charge adds another chapter to a season which has provided plenty of reasons for optimism across the club.

Image: Junee Diesels

After years spent rebuilding, the message coming out of Junee is clear.

The Diesels are back.