The year is 1998 and the Gunnedah Bulldogs first grade just won its first premiership in 13 seasons.

It took years of heartache throughout consecutive finals appearances but finally the Bulldogs broke the premiership drought with a 33-14 victory over the Wee Waa Panthers in Narrabri.

The Bulldogs had long been within reach of the premiership Cup after securing their fifth grand final berth in six years but the winning result proved elusive.

That year Gunnedah turned out one of their “worst performances of the season” when they went down 22-4 to Wee Waa in the major semi-final.

The side redeemed itself after a 70-8 thumping of Moree in the elimination final at Kitchener Park before taking the double with the grand final win as well.

Prior the final, the then Bulldogs captain-coach Peter Ryman was taking an ‘all or nothing’ approach but said if the result didn’t end the way they wanted, that was the way the cookie crumbled.

“We’re going give to Sunday our very best and if we’re not good enough at the end of 80 minutes, it’s not the end of the world,” Ryman told the Independent prior to the grand final.

Ryman recalled at the time how halfback Steve Howard had a similar philosophy.

“He said no matter what happens on Sunday morning, the sun will still come up on Monday morning.” 

But come game-day it was virtually all one-way traffic to Gunnedah. 

Wee Waa scraped the margin back to 12 points at half-time but that was as close as they got.

It was a premiership victory which similar to the current season in 2014, had been a long time in the making.

Prior to 1998, the last time the Bulldogs first grade savoured premiership success was in 1985 when Gunnedah beat Narrabri 18-10.

Ryman rejoiced in the ‘98 win, saying it would be one he would “remember forever”.