Illawarra's big improvers go so close in rugby league decider

Their season was claw-some in the extreme, but these cats missed out – by a whisker.

On decision day, the scoreline was brutal, but in context of the whole season, Corrimal Cougars continued to conjure one of the greatest renaissances seen in Illawarra rugby league's modern history.

Corrimal scored first in Saturday's grand final against Collegians and were in with a shout trailing 20-12 at halftime, but the Dogs mustered a 32-0 second half to take the 2026 premiership.

But Corrimal will never forget what they achieved in 2026. It was one for the ages, one for the future, for this and that, but it was clearly one for the true believers – the supporters, the players, the families who have turned up to Ziems Park time after time, keeping the faith even when their boys were getting flogged.

This season, it was the Cougars handing out the beatings. Every team who had Corrimal down as whipping boys for years has fallen to them – those clad in blue and white, red and blue, blue and yellow.

Such bounding up the ladder doesn't happen by accident or overnight, of course; there is the work of many in the background, but keen leadership is also required. Sean Tabet, a young coach with a strong background in Sutherland Shire rugby league, took on the Cougars job just last year.

In a recent interview with the Flame, he clearly remembers doing his initial meeting with Corrimal players from the 2024 squad, and many had already signed elsewhere or were tired of losing week in and week out.

"In fact by the time the whole process was completed I only had three returning players from that squad (Jacob Karam, Joe Duggan, Braith Plecas)," Sean said.

"It was ugly at times. It left me the task of a complete rebuild.

"Thankfully the club and the community were so supportive. Trying to recruit good players to a club that’s won one game in two years was very challenging, but we got there in the end.

"We built a competitive roster that qualified for semis for the first time in 16 years. I have no regrets of any of it. I learnt so much about resilience throughout those times."

The side built its strength; then came the belief – and the results. Victories previously thought unattainable started to come. They weren't merely wins, they became "statement" wins as previously more powerful clubs started looking over their shoulders at the momentum building in postcode 2518.

Sean felt it was a question of many players adapting to a much tougher, faster more physical competition than what they had been used to.

"I strongly believe once we got to play every team once, and everyone on the roster, including myself, got to see what we were up against, it helped in preparations. The boys now know in 2026 how much fitter and better they have to be," he said.

In May, Sean's goal was to venture deep into the semis, so the minor premiership (Corrimal's first since 1989) and getting to the decider was perhaps an overachievement that Corrimal will gladly take.

"Making semis is always great, but we did that last year – you always want to be improving," Sean said, "I think a major semi should be the complete standard for us. The goal is always to win the comp, I think we have the roster and depth to do that.

"It’s still early days – we’re still all learning about each other but I can assure you everyone has that goal and mindset that we can come in and take this out. We all have to be all in to make it happen, that includes me as the coach."

Accountability from the top down – that can't hurt any collective aspiration.

When the Flame visited Ziems Park on a warm day in August for a semi-final against Thirroul, the scene was teeming with belief and sheer numbers – the biggest home crowd Cougars fans could remember. Drinks and food queues were packed, and the atmosphere in the Vince Daskey Pavilion, with its vintage club jerseys dangling from the ceiling like so many ghosts of the past, was heaving with optimism. The recently minted 'Dare to Dream' t-shirts with AI artwork found on the club's social media posts were commonplace. Most Thirroul incursions into that end of the field were met with staunch defence – on the field and vocally off it.

Getting their hands on the premiership trophy for the first time since 1974 will have to wait until next season – or possibly later. But the district's competition is all the stronger for a resurgent Corrimal.

Until then, these cats are well and truly out of the bag.