Cootamundra Bulldogs President Stephen Howse is brimming with optimism as the club prepares for the 2026 Group 9 sea-son and the eagerly awaited representa-tive fixture the Kelly Cup where players will represent Group 9 against Group 20 on February 14 at Yenda’s Wade Park.
Speaking exclusively to the South West Slopes Times, Howse highlighted the strong local contingent selected in the Group 9 squad, particularly in the forward pack.
“Joe Ward was selected on the bench for the Kelly Cup, he’s 18th man, and then you’ve got Big Nico and Ty,” Howse said. “Nico is starting and Ty’s off the bench. They are big barnstorming props. They are one of our big buys from last year and they’re still here, so they’re pretty handy.”
Howse also detailed the club’s coaching appointments across grades. “In terms of new coaches, Mitch Wakeford is reserve grade with Simon Miller. Johnny Murray is their manager. And then in Under 18s, you’ve got Josh Kostrubic and Luke Levitt and Tom Miller.” He praised the continuity in the Under 18s setup, noting Josh Kostrubic’s success last season. “Josh was a coach last year at under 18s and they won the comp. Him and Tom and Mitch were the coaching staff. They are all helping out to do the under 18s, which would be good.”
Recalling that memorable Under 18 grand final victory over Wagga Kangaroos at Wagga, Howse described the winning moment with a grin. It saw a blindside play and a ‘speculator’ thrown to clinch the win.
“Ollie Hall has set up underneath the sticks to take a one shot and Jai Willoughby threw caution to the wind and went the blind side and it was a perfect pass, it was back, it wasn’t forward. And plus, Kyle Neale, who caught it, it was just perfect timing. You can see him in the video, he looks left, he looks right, and then he looks kind of… Kangaroos were all looking at Ollie Hall to kick the one and just thought ‘oh bugger it, we will go the blind side and do a cut out pass’ and it worked really well.”
Looking ahead, Howse expects a healthy transition from last year’s premiership Under 18 side. “It’s about a half-half scenario. There’s some really good ones, like Harry Boxsell and Isaiah Pulleine, Gus Smart, big Benny Piffero to start front rower. It is 50-50 but the only thing is, we didn’t have a 16s last year, so we are probably a little bit light on there, but we’ll see how we go. You never get massive numbers in January, and we are a long way off starting, so they will gradually build. Once they see the numbers, I’m pretty sure with the cattle that they’ve got, they’d be competitive regardless.”
He is particularly excited about the potential of several 19-year-olds to push for higher grades. “Absolutely. There’s a few there. Some of them have doubts, but they’ve just got to back themselves, really. Honestly, reserve grade can be easier than under 18’s and anyone will tell you that. Even though, what I’ve found since back in Group 9, that reserve grade seems a lot younger than it used to be. You haven’t got all the old heads in there that are going around and giving you rabbit killers behind the play. That doesn’t seem to be happening as much, they just seem to be pretty young and enthusiastic, which is better for them.”
“I think once they have a game or two, some of them played first grade last year, like Harry Boxsell and Ollie Hall and Tom Willoughby, they’ve all had a run in the seniors, so they should be confident. Harry Boxsell’s got another year to go in 18’s and he could play first grade. First grade numbers have been encouraging in the last few weeks, so even in the heat there’s been a few of them.”
Off the field, the Bulldogs are preparing for their inaugural Sports Luncheon on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at Cootamundra Golf Club, featuring former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh, rugby league icon Robbie Farah, and NSW Rugby League CEO David Trodden.
“We’ve been talking about a Sports Luncheon for quite a while, so we’ve gone all out and got Steve Waugh, Robbie Farah and Dave Trodden, which will be exciting,” Howse said. “Our aim is to get 20 tables, but if we get 25, I’ll be happy, but table numbers are going along pretty well. We’ve got a bit of a demographic with cricket and footy and as it’s our first foray into it, we will see how it goes. Hopefully it’ll be good. I think we’ll get the numbers.”
He added with enthusiasm: “Steve wants to do an open mic session as well. Hopefully we can get him to stay and have a look at the Bradman’s Cottage and the Captain’s Walk and all that type of thing. It would be a shame for him not to see it. I bet there’s plenty of Australian captains that don’t even know it exists.” With strong representation in the Kelly Cup, a clear junior-to-senior pathway, and a major community event on the horizon, the Cootamundra Bulldogs are positioning themselves for an exciting 2026 campaign.
The South West Slopes Times will continue to follow the club’s progress as the season draws closer. For luncheon bookings or junior registration inquiries, check out the Facebook page.
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