Camden Rams are celebrating the club’s first Clayton Cup win following an unbeaten first-class season that saw them dominate Group 6 competition in the 2024 Macarthur Premiership.

The Rams won the grand final 38-26 against The Oaks Tigers without breaking their winning streak.

“We have been in the grand final three years in a row. “We kind of brushed aside the middle team by a good margin (we lost 28-26 to Thirlmere Roosters in 2023),” chairman Greg Copeland told nswrl.com.au.

“But this year the kids were focused from the beginning that this was going to be their year.”

The Clayton Cup is awarded annually by the NSWRL to the top-performing premier team in all NSWRL Regional Member Competitions.

Selection criteria include a club’s win-loss record, pro and con scores, and the number of games and teams in a competition.

The history of the cup dates back to 1937; Camden Rams became the fourth Group 6 club to win the trophy, following Picton Magpies (1966), Mittagong Lions (1991) and East Campbelltown Eagles (2012).

“We were undefeated until our last game in 1972, when the final whistle blew we lost and the Clayton Cup went to Cobar,” Copeland said. Cobar also lost only one match all year but had a better margin.

“A few of our older sons kept telling us this story. There was a lot of excitement this year because of how long we waited.

“It could take another 40-odd years to do it again. This is a very prestigious award and this is Camden’s first time; people really respect what has been achieved.”

NSWRL Community Football Manager Peter Clarke was on hand at the weekend to present the Clayton Cup to the Camden Rams.

Group 6 Chairman Grahame Andrews was also invited to this event; He was Mittagong’s coach in 1991.

Copeland said the bonding of the 2024 roster is key to the Rams’ success.

“They went undefeated, showing that their bond is very strong indeed. “They trained on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and training attendance was high throughout the season,” he said.

“Last year we only made two or three changes, so consistency was very important for us.

“Another smart thing we did was have physicals there every two training nights because you can never be sure that players actually went for physicals when they needed them.

“We can keep them healthy by monitoring them more closely.”

It was a good year for the club, with the Reserve Grade winning the minor premiership, losing just one game all season, and the Under-18 boys’ teams going undefeated.

“Our club is doing very well after the COVID disruptions of 2020 and 2021.”

Rams 2024 stats: Matches played – 18 (16 regular season, two final matches); Games won – 18; Point – 769; Points Against – 158; Differential – 611; Number of teams – 11 in the 2024 Macarthur Premiership Premiership Competition.