The Cooma Stallions have secured the Group 16 Nines result at a bitterly cold and wet Cooma Showground on Saturday.
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The host club were able to seal a win over the Bombala Blue Heelers in the final after a series of short-format clashes across the morning.
However, the Blue Heelers got their own back with the High Heelers ladies outfit wining the women's event in the afternoon, downing the Bega Chicks for the crown.
Club president Jason Kelly said he was thrilled with the result after the Stallions put forward a strong roster for the nine-a-side round robin.
He also said it was exciting to see Eden back on the park, while the day also featured the Snowy River Bears - who will run as a standalone reserve grade outfit this season.
The rain-soaked ground was well-presented for the resilient crowd who braved the conditions and those who did turn out enjoyed a good spectacle of footy throughout.
The returning Eden Tigers were a solid contender for the crown after making a semi-finals appearance against the Blue Heelers.
The Tigers showed strength in the middle and some classy wide plays with good kicking by half John Aldridge and paceful runs out of fullback by Joel Grewar.
The Blue Heelers appeared to have dropped some size from their premiership winning roster, but made up for the disparity with huge boosts in speed around the fringes.
The Tigers held the edge early, but it was a Tyler Jones running in a try after a cheeky fake to the left that shot the Blue Heelers through to the final with just 28 seconds left on the clock.
The Moruya Sharks had made the second semi against the Stallions, but withdrew due to a lack of players, letting the Cooma club advance through after an on-field dominance in the early rounds.
The Bega Roosters showed plenty of ability through the middle with Billy Hudson a standout, while some of the young guns rising to first grade also enjoyed the hitout.
Meanwhile, Tathra and Narooma showed plenty of pace, while both clubs had also backed up to help fill blanks in the draw from the Bay's withdrawal.
Unfortunately the two clubs fell short of the finals as they struggled to find points through other team's big men across the middle.
Bombala's Patrice Clear said it was great to win the women's draw, but credited the other teams for their skill.
"Despite the weather is was a great first hit out," she said on social media. "Great to see the teams that will make up the ladies competition this year. Welcome back Moruya great to see you guys out there today."
Moruya's Ian Traynor thanked the Cooma Club for hosting and said it all ran well despite the poor weather.
The regular Group 16 rugby league season opens this weekend.