Armidale club Narwan Eels have held on to their under-17 boys crown at the Koori Knockout, beating the Waterloo Storm Academy 22-10 in the grand final at Raymond Terrace on Monday, 5 October.
Narwan went into the carnival as defending 2025 champions and made sure the title stayed in Armidale. The win came on the final day of the 54th edition of the event, which brought 172 teams across seven divisions to Raymond Terrace over four days. About 40,000 fans spent the long weekend there for what has been described as a modern-day corroboree.
Narwan started well. Kade McKay got above the pack to take a Jaylin Moran bomb and score the opening try. The Storm hit back after regathering the kick-off, with Joey Salafia getting outside his marker and putting on the jets.
Waterloo then held firm in defence and worked their way down the field, where they proved too strong from close range.
Narwan took control after the break. Moran put through a grubber for Zach Fitzgerald to edge the Eels ahead once again. A bargeover try then stretched the lead to six. Riley Breust sealed the result with three minutes to go, catching the defence napping to score out of dummy half.
<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1746242726675843%2F&show_text=true&width=267&t=0" width="267" height="591" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>The title adds to a big year for the Armidale club, which is celebrating 50 years of Narwan Eels, from 1976 to 2026.
Narwan took Open Men’s, Open Women’s and under 17 boys teams to the carnival. The club is a five-time men’s champion and a two-time women’s champion, and its under 17 boys are now back-to-back winners.
“Our club has always been about much more than football,” stated the club. “It’s about family, community, connection and belonging.”
There was also history in the men’s final. Wiradjuri Aboriginal Rivers won their first-ever men’s title with a 26-6 defeat of the Bourke Warriors, and will now choose where the 2027 Knockout is played.
Gerome Burns was the hero. A development player with South Sydney, he was medically retired from the NRL after a serious knee injury. He scored a hat-trick and was named player of the final.
2026 hosts, the Newcastle Yowies, made it back-to-back women’s titles with a 14-6 win over the Redfern All Blacks. The side included NRLW players, among them two-time premiership winner Caitlin Johnston.
The Yowies also took out the under-13 boys, beating Wiradjuri Aboriginal Rivers 10-6, and the under-15 girls, beating the Blacktown Red Belly Warriors 12-4. Maddi Ireland, a Wiradjuri woman from Dubbo, led the under 15 side to victory.
Dunghutti won the under 17 girls with a 14-4 defeat of La Perouse. La Perouse took revenge in the under-15 boys, winning 10-4 over Dunghutti.
“Once a Narwan Eel, Always a Narwan Eel,” the club stated.
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