Boggabri Kangaroos ready to rumble as Rampling labels top-four finish as their goal

Boggabri and District Rugby League Football Club face a colossal task on Saturday when they go up against Group 4 Rugby League’s first grade defending champions in the opening round of the 2024 campaign.

The Kangaroos will kick off the new season when they tackle last year’s grand final winners North Tamworth Bears from 10.45am at Kitchener Park in Gunnedah. That will be the first of four first grade games played at the venue on the day during a Magic Round-style event that has been labelled Group 4’s ‘footy fest’.

For the Boggabri Kangaroos’ coach Shane Rampling, this season will be his sixth in charge of the club’s first grade side as he looks to guide them to finals footy for the first time.

Rampling has been pleased with what he has seen from his players across the pre-season in terms of dedication to working hard at training and in the club’s trial games, and he is confident they have what it takes to match it with the best of the sides this year and earn a top-four spot.

“I think pre-season has been pretty good for us,” Rampling said.

“We’ve gone back to a lot of the basic stuff to get them right first.

“Our trials could have been better in the sense of we had so many blokes trialling at the one time and it was hard to get a gauge on just the first grade and reserve grade sides. They were full senior trials, and I think the one downfall is that we couldn’t get a trial with first grade and reserve grade playing separately.

“But all in all, it’s been a pretty good pre-season and we’ve had consistent numbers.

“I’m very excited for the new season. Every coach is always excited to see where the side is at, and obviously you set little goals that you want to achieve. Our number one overall goal this year is to try and make the semis and improve on last year, but it’s going to be tough. Every team will be hard to beat on their day, so we’ll have to be switched on every game.”

Boggabri have lost a few players from last year’s team, including Dylan Lake, Kaylan Murray, Ken Hughes and Clifford Toomey Junior. They have added a few new faces as well though, with outside back Mitch Fletcher returning to the club and a few new Fijian players also signing on.

Jeremey Toomey and Terry Hynch are Rampling’s assistants again in 2024, and Nick Millar (reserve grade) and Bailey Lennox (ladies league tag) are his fellow coaches at the club.

Boggabri will return to Gunnedah in round two when their first grade, reserve grade and ladies league tag teams all play against the Bulldogs on Saturday, April 13.

Their first home game will be a week later on Saturday, April 20, when they welcome Narrabri to Jubilee Oval.

The Kangaroos will play eight home games and eight away games and sit out with two byes across the 18-round regular season.