They've done it.

One of the most gripping grand finals in memory, the Coonamble Rams rocked up to Walgett and got the job done, beating the undefeated Gulargambone Flamin Galahs 15-12.

The ultimate reward for a team united by one dream - winning it all.

No win could ever be sweeter, then finally taking down Gulargambone on the biggest stage of them all to ruin their perfect season.

And it's not just the win, but the nature of it, and the history behind these two teams.

The Flamin Galahs have always had the wood on the Rams, including that incredible preliminary final game in 2024.

And after the major semi-final this year went the way of Gulargambone just two weeks ago, Gulargambone just needed to get the job done one more time.

But they couldn’t.

The Rams came with a game plan and executed it perfectly.

It was a simple tactic: get up in their face and don’t give them an inch of space.

And if they make any mistake you absolutely let them know about it.

First Half

The opening defensive set from Coonamble gave them an opportunity to put this plan to the test.

No space was allowed, and every tag came with some GST, roughing up the Flamin Galahs.

They forced the Galahs into an absolute shambles of a first set, which had started on their twenty metre line, and finished there.

The plan was going to work.

But despite their early struggles in attack, the Galah defence stood tall, facing set after set of pressure.

And after ten minutes of play all down their end, they finally created the space for a clearance kick.

They had weathered the storm of an unbelievably fired-up Coonamble side.

But perhaps they relaxed just a little bit too much, and they failed to put the pressure on the kick return.

After tracking back and taking a great catch on the run, Imogen Pawley found herself with ball in hand and far too much room to move.

She ran all the way left to right, creating the overlap down the wing and after using up centre Jacinta Murray as an option she broke the line.

Imogen passed the ball off to "the very tall Rams player" Amy Ibbott, who streamed down the right sideline for the opening score in the eleventh minute.

A narrowly missed kick from Rachael Sefton's unfavoured side kept the score at 5-0.

The perfect start for the Rams.

Amy Ibbott scored the opening try on Saturday, with Gulargambone fullback Paige Wilson just narrowly missing the tag [PHOTO: Coonamble Times]

Gulargambone did go undefeated for a reason, though.

An early tackle-breaking run from Kayla Beaton after the restart showed signs of what was to come, and after another few minutes of footy up the middle, she tore off for a monster sixty metre runaway try under the sticks.

The kick was converted by Paige Wilson, taking the lead 7-5.

Game on.

The Flamin' Galahs kept the pressure on and worked themselves into the game despite facing immense pressure from the Rams' defence.

They were rewarded for keeping their heads down when Coonamble teetered too far on the side of tackle over tag, and conceded a penalty with minutes left in the half.

Kayla Beaton charged off again, catching most offside, and if not for a tag up the middle, she would have crossed over for a double.

But it did enough to shake up the defence, and Kelsey Huchinson broke the line on the next play, going all but five metres to the try line before being tagged by Gemma Fitzgerald.

Great hustle from Gemma, but the defence was left in shambles, and Paige Wilson picked up the quick ball and crossed over left of the posts with a minute to go before the break.

The kick looked good off the boot, but crossed the face, the score remaining 12-5.

A half that had it all was coming to a close, but it wasn’t over just yet.

On the final play of the half, Imogen Pawley would score the try of the day.

She drifted around the pursuing dummy half and broke the line down the left.

An amazing charge down the wing with just one to beat, the ever-reliable Paige Wilson.

But Imogen was just that good on Saturday, putting the right foot step on and dancing around the star fullback to score.

The kick narrowly missed the right upright, and Gular led at the break 12-10.

Second Half

This was it.

Thirty minutes separated one of these two teams from their crowning glory.

For such an even matchup so far, it would come down to who wanted it more.

After such a huge defensive effort in the first half, the Rams turned it up a notch as the game got back underway.

Gemma Fitzgerald was pinned down by Flamin Galahs for most of the game. [IMAGE: Helen Rackham]

A great territory kick from Gular parked the ball deep in the Coonamble half, and two times they shifted wide right, and two times Kathryn Alchin snuffed out the attack.

Gulargambone forced the drop out, and for a brief moment, they really looked like scoring.

But the pressure was too much, and yet another pass went wayward.

And who else picked it up but Imogen Pawley.

She was chased down twenty out from the try line, but momentum was shifted.

Just minutes earlier, Tracey Baker-Holmes had come on as the spark plug, and with the situation set up perfectly to orchestrate an attacking set of six she went to work.

The ball was pushed far right, dragging Gulargambone's defence with it.

A quick settling tag pulled in a few more defenders down the right side all while Tracy was barking orders to shift left quickly.

Gulargambone were busted, caught jogging and out of position.

And Coonamble pounced.

They shifted the ball left, and Gemma Fitzgerald scored the easiest try she's scored all year to retake the lead with twenty minutes to go.

Coonamble almost doubled down just minutes later after centre Ana Newstead charged down the right side only to be tagged by Paige Wilson.

Some strong territorial kicking from Rachael Sefton kept the game in the Rams control, and it looked as though they would hold on with ten minutes to go.

If not for a cruel twist of fate.

A routine kick return from Gemma Fitzgerald went awry after she knocked the ball on, and the Gulargambone crowd went berserk.

And the response from the Flamin' Galah players was just as emphatic.

It felt like destiny for Gulargambone.

Years of trying, years of falling at the final hurdle.

They now had Coonamble pinned on their line late in the game.

This was it, this was their chance.

And the crowd was going mental.

Gulargambone had the opportunity and gave it to their golden goose - Paige Wilson.

The quick shift out left to Paige had been a sure thing all year.

The Flamin Galahs [IMAGE: Gulargambone Rugby Club]

But she never straightened and didn’t want to take the line on.

She kept drifting, and Ana Newstead charged up and made a great tag.

Gular regrouped and reset for the next attack.

But the ball was lost.

Tempers flared, and a repeat of last year's grand final biff looked sure to repeat.

But Coonamble were never giving in to that; they had a game to win.

They then coolly worked their way through their sets, taking time off the clock sure, but not doing enough to put the game to bed.

And with two minutes left it looked good for Gulargambone.

A tired Rams defence had given up two offside penalties, and in the blink of an eye, Gulargambone were deep in Rams territory as the clock ran down.

With one minute thirty to go, Gulargambone stacked the ball left and looked set to score, but playmaker Caitlynn King bit off more than she could chew, throwing an optimistic cut-out ball all the way over the left edge before it dribbled over the sideline for a Coonamble lineout.

And with all the pressure, the ball deep in their territory, and a minute on the clock, it was the Rams best lineout all year.

They slowed the game right down after that, but the clock was still on Gulargambone's side, and with 22 seconds left, they had one final chance.

And they'd caught them out too, Gular had the numbers out right, and despite dropping them all day, they made that final pass to cross over and score – breaking hearts.

But as the tricolours celebrated, all eyes instead were glued to Rams winger Kathryn Alchin, whose hand was high in the air after making the tag just milliseconds before the ball was put down.

They wanted it more.

The ball was taken back, and with one final play, it was in Paige Wilson's hands.

A repeat of last year's preliminary final, she had the chance to sink Coonamble one more time, this time for all the bikkies.

But she passed it off, and it didn’t hit the target.

The ball fell to the ground, and both Paige and Ana Newstead dived for it.

And Ana came up trumps.

They. Just. Wanted. It. More.

Coonamble 15, Gulargambone 12. What a win for the girls in green and white.

The 2025 Ahrens Cup Premier Coonamble Rams: (Back Row): Jayde McDuff, Tracey Baker-Holmes, Loretta Tandy, Amy Ibbott, Gemma Fitzgerald, Kathryn Alchin, Ana Newstead, Ashleigh Stielow, Tobianna Glasson, Angie O'Connor, Maddie Mackay, Lily McClelland, Xanthe Van Lubeck, (Front Row): Imogen Pawley, Ella Cleary, Lydia Paine, Rachael Sefton, Aamber Rowe, Jacinta Murray, Hannah Williams (Not Pictured): Coaches Josh Wrench and Aaron West [PHOTO: Coonamble Rams Rugby Football Club]

A special game where every player on the pitch had their moment, pushing to make that tag or to get up in Gular's face, it was a true team effort.

And off the back of her brilliant game, including one try, one try assist, seven line breaks, and two penalties for roughness, the best on ground was awarded to Rams forward Imogen Pawley.

Taking a step back, the win is absolutely deserved.

It’s the story of consistently building and getting better under coaches Josh Wrench and Aaron West.

Once a side always good for a spot in finals and never an easy beat on their day, they could beat the rest, but never the best.

But at the start of the tri-tag competition, they really hit their stride.

They earned their spot at the table after taking down premiers Walgett in the 2024 minor semi-finals.

Getting better every game, they created a brand of football built on a bruising defence and smart attack.

And in 2025, they stand alone.

Premiers - deserved ones at that.