Former SBW clone Karl Filiga leading Cooma towards first title in 24 years

BUSH BEAT: He was famously dubbed the next Sonny Bill Williams, now ex-NRL player Karl Filiga is starring in bush football with the Cooma Stallions. Matt Logue’s country column

HE was famously dubbed the next Sonny Bill Williams, now ex-NRL player Karl Filiga is starring in bush football with the Cooma Stallions.

Filiga had the rugby league world at his feet in 2007 when Cronulla forked out a whopping $600,000 deal over three years.

This hype quickly faded when injury and form restricted the prodigious New Zealand-born talent to only one game for the Sharks in three years.

It was estimated that Filiga’s 11-minute NRL career cost Cronulla $20,000 a minute.

Now after stints with Wentworthville and Mudgee, the 28-year-old is at the forefront of Cooma’s charge towards their first Group 16 premiership since 1994 when current Gold Coast coach Neil Henry was coach.

The Stallions claimed the minor premiership and an undefeated regular season with a commanding 80-0 victory over last-placed Batemans Bay on Sunday.

Karl Filiga (Pictured with Wentworthville) is steering Cooma to their first premiership since 1994

In remarkable scenes, the match was called off at halftime due to the lopsided scoreline.

Club president Jason Kelly says Filiga has made a significant impact on the club and community.

“Karl has been fantastic,” Kelly said. He is really good with the young blokes as well and he is in some pretty good form.

“He has been doing a lot of the tough stuff for us this year. He played with us last year for half a season, because he is living down this way and he works at our local gym.”

On the back of players like Filiga, Kelly says the Cooma community is buzzing at the prospect of winning the premiership.

“We are a town with all the codes, but when rugby league is doing well the whole town is talking footy — particularly on a Monday morning,” he said.

“We are getting big crowds and our coach Todd Williams — a local bloke who plays in the front-row — is doing a great job.”

REFEREEING MILESTONE

Rugby league isn’t just about the players. As the old saying goes, there is no game without the men in the middle.

This has been highlighted this weekend in the Northern Rivers competition.

Long-serving whistle blower Peter O’Connor refereed his 500th first-grade game on Saturday when Evans Head hosted Ballina.

O’Connor, more commonly known as ‘pencil’ began his career in 1990 refereeing in the U18’s and has been in charge of nine first-grade grand finals and countless lower grade grand finals in his 27-year-career. O’Connor is the first referee in his division to achieve the 500 game milestone.

Terry Campese is eyeing a return to the Italian team for the World Cup at the end of the year

CAMPESE WORLD CUP BOUND

Terry Campese hasn’t played in the NRL for four years, but it won’t stop him from representing Italy at this year’s rugby league World Cup.

Campese is preparing for the Cup by playing with his hometown Queanbeyan Blues in the Canberra competition.

The ex-Raider can’t wait to play for the Azeri and represent his pop, who was born in Italy before relocating to Queanbeyan.

Campese is also excited at the prospect of playing a World Cup match in Canberra in front of the Raiders faithful he bid farewell to in 2014.

“Hopefully I am picked and I will be ready to play,” Campese said recently.

SMALL CLUB, BIG HEART

The Kootingal Roosters may play in the Group 4 second division competition, but it hasn’t stopped the club from making a big impact in the community.

The Roosters will host their fourth-annual ‘Roosters Charity Day’ this weekend with all proceeds going to Tamworth Base Hospitals Children’s Ward.

Kootingal always allocate their charity day fundraiser to local charities in the North West and have donated to Ronald McDonald House and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service in recent years.

The Roosters will host the Walcha Roos in the annual charity day event, which will include a charity jersey auction, raffles, stalls and entertainment throughout the day.

They also play in specially designed jerseys that are inspired by their chosen charity. A great effort from a small club to give back to their local community.