Country Championships final: Former NRL star Sam Williams to lead charge for Monaro Colts

After spending a decade at the highest level, former NRL player Sam Williams is going back to where it all started in the hunt for an illustrious crown.

Sam Williams will lead the Monaro Colts against Newcastle in the country championship final this Sunday. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Before this season, Sam Williams hadn’t pulled on a Monaro jumper for close to 20 years, going way back to when a skinny teenager from Cooma with a bucket load of potential lined up for the Colts’ junior rep sides.

But this Sunday – with a decade-long, 143-game professional career sandwiched in between – the now 33-year-old will line up in the white and red again as Monaro prepares to take on Newcastle in the final of the NSW rugby league country championships at Cessnock Sportsground.

“It’s brilliant, I can’t wait,” said Williams. “I haven’t had the chance to wear the Monaro jersey since I was about 14 or so. It’s been a long time between drinks.

“I grew up watching the Monaro rep side and loved the players who were wearing the jersey, so for me to get the opportunity to do it and play in a final and represent where we’ve come from, I just can’t wait.”

Indeed, it is very much a case of coming full circle for the halfback, who captain-coached the Queanbeyan Kangaroos to a premiership in the local Canberra Region Rugby League competition last year after finishing his NRL career at the end of the 2021 season.

Williams has three stints at the raiders during his decade-long professional career. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

And while he has shared the stage with some of the game’s greatest players at the highest level, Williams still has plenty of fire in the belly to try and bring home the country title for the Colts.

“I think it’s really important. I was born and raised in Cooma in the heart of the Monaro and I’m extremely proud to play for Monaro and represent where I’ve come from.

“I know the role that ex-NRL players can play in grassroots football and bush footy and I think it’s really important, where possible, that players do go back and try and play in these types of things.”

Unsurprisingly, Williams has taken a leading role in the Colts’ charge this year, teaming up with Tuggeranong Bushrangers skipper – and fellow Cooma boy – Jason Kelly to assemble a strong squad for the championships.

“Co-coaching with Kels was always going to be a big part of it,” said Williams.

“We’re both from Cooma and we did want to get the pride back into the jersey. Last year was fairly disappointing for the region in how it all went so it’s really important that we tried to change that.”

Indeed, after a round one loss last year the Colts have improved significantly in 2024, getting over the top of Riverina 36-30 in a high-scoring encounter in round one before knocking off the Northern River Titans 12-8 in the semi-final last weekend.

And while the team hasn’t put a complete performance together yet, the halfback has been happy with parts of what he’s seen.

“In the first game we attacked well but didn’t defend well, and in the second we defended really well but dropped way too much ball in attack,” he said.

But Williams knows the team will have to lift its game if they are to compete with the defending champions, who showed just what they’re capable of with a 52-0 thrashing of the Northern Tigers in the semi-final last weekend.

“Against this Newcastle team you can’t afford to be off with one of them (attack or defence). You’ve got to be at your very, very best with both, but at least we know the ingredients are there and we’ve got it within ourselves – we’ve just got to put it together.”

Indeed, Monaro will line up against some household names in rugby league when it takes on a very strong Rebels outfit at Cessnock Sportsground on Sunday.

In its last game Newcastle’s side featured the likes of former Origin and Kangaroos outside back Blake Ferguson, former Penrith, Parramatta and Gold Coast utility Will Smith and ex-Eels middle Peni Terepo, who between them have close to 500 games of NRL or Super League experience.

In a remarkable embarrassment of riches, the Rebels – coached by former Gold Coast Titans NRL mentor Garth Brennan – also have injured former NRL players Peter Mata’utia and Dylan Phythian in the squad, as well as six from last year’s NSW Country team.

Former NRL players Blake Ferguson, Will Smith and Dylan Phythian are in the Newcastle Rebels squad. Picture: supplied

And while the Newcastle side will go into the game as raging favourites, Williams said his side won’t simply roll over.

“Every individual just needs to play their best game. We can’t expect to win this game with only three or four players playing their best footy. We need everyone to be at their very best. Stranger things have happened.”

And while the prospect of lining up against former NRL stars might be a daunting prospect for some, the Monaro playmaker has a simple message for his boys ahead of the clash.

“I just hope they’re looking forward to the challenge. Individually it’s a big challenge no matter who you’re coming up against, so I hope they’re just really excited about the challenge and the opportunity to play against these players who’ve spent so much time in the top grade. I know I am,” he said.

“I don’t get the opportunity to do it very often these days, so when you do get the opportunity you want to play your best. I’m really excited about that and I hope the rest of them are as well because at the end of the day it’s a game of footy and if we go out there, play well and win our individual battles then we give ourselves a chance.”

With road trips to Wagga, Sydney and now Cessnock ahead of them, the team has clocked up plenty of time on the road together, which is something Williams thinks can help them in the big dance.

“After this weekend we’ll have spent 24 hours on the road together,” he said. “After 24 hours on the road and two nights in different locations you get to know the people you’re playing with and you certainly get plenty of time to bond,” he added.

Monaro’s under-18 side will play in the Laurie Daley Cup final as a curtain-raiser to the country championships final Picture: Sue Graham

“It’s a lot of time and you just can’t have the headphones in the whole time. You get to know each other and you get to appreciate them as people and not just footballers.”

It will be a big day for Monaro at Cessnock, with the region’s under-18s side set to take on the Northern Tigers in the grand final of the Laurie Daley Cup in the country championships curtain raiser, with the hope that the current and next generation of players can shine on the country stage.

And while they’ll be spending six and a half-hours on the bus just to make it to the game, Williams is pumped to be heading to bushy footy heartland.

“Playing last week out at Homebush, it probably didn’t have that same country bush feel that we crave,” he said. “But this weekend at Cessnock we’re going to have everything that we love about bush footy and country grassroots football. There’s no doubt it’ll be a big task but we’re looking forward to it.”

Monaro take on Newcastle in the country championships final at Cessnock Sportsground on Sunday at 2pm, while the Colts’ Laurie Daley Cup team will face off with the Northern Tigers at the same venue at 12:15pm.