Leading the charge in the Central West

The win secured the premiership and ended a grand final drought against Longreach that went all the way back to the 1960s.

Guiding the team through that nail-biter was Casey Hansen, Ray White Barcaldine property manager, who stepped up as captain and number 9.

At 20, Casey manages a busy property portfolio during the week while steering a senior rugby league team on the weekend, earning plenty of respect across the Central West along the way.

“It was a tough fought battle to begin with but I’ve never had any doubt in us boys, and I know that we just had to dig deep and work as a team and we were always going to win,” Casey said.

“I also want to thank the beautiful committee and supporters that we have that are there week in week out, as none of it is possible without them.”

Rhys Peacock, sales consultant at Ray White’s Longreach and Barcaldine business and club president, spoke about Casey's work on and off the field.

“Casey, at just 20, is a devoted team player, respected captain, and embodies the spirit of our club as a prominent volunteer,” Rhys said.

“The game came down to the wire... the last time we beat them in a grand final in Longreach was in the 1960s!”