Last Saturday started out like any other for Greg Haire.
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The long-serving Boggabri Kangaroos president and his wife, Sue, went about their business preparing for and helping to run the club's match day against the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters.
It went well. Very well, in fact, as their first graders scored a historic win.
To celebrate, Haire accompanied the team to the Commercial Hotel - one of the club's major sponsors.
Once there, Haire started chatting with Corey Ridley, who told the 68-year-old that he had been recognised as a Telstra Footy Country local hero.
"Dungowan played Narrabri, and we played Kootingal at home," Haire said.
"We were just celebrating at the pub and Dungowan pulled in. Corey came up to me and told me."
The award recognises those volunteers whose tireless work helps to support rugby league in their local community.
Haire still has no idea who nominated him, but as a result he will walk the ball out for this Saturday's NRL fixture at Scully Park between Wests Tigers and the Newcastle Knights.
"It's exciting," he said.
"It'll be great. We've got some tickets now, so the family will be going. My wife, my son [Ben] and his family, and my daughter [Ashlee] and her family. We're all going to go."
The only other moment from his lifetime of involvement in rugby league that is as memorable, Haire said, was his premiership win with the club in 1980.
But, ever humble, he said his efforts were only a small part of what made the Kangaroos tick.
"There's probably more people more deserving than me, there definitely would be," Haire said.
He spoke about the club's efforts to get its junior program back up and running this year after an absence of roughly a decade.
This, Haire said, was not his achievement. It was the efforts of the Kangaroos' "great committee" that made it possible.
"We've got a fantastic secretary in Molly Kemp," he said.
"It might've been my idea to get these juniors off the ground, but she's been the driving force behind it ... and we've got a great treasurer in Geoff 'Chopper' Hobden. And a great ground manager in Warwick Chandler.
"Everyone trusts everyone, and everyone gets in and does their job. It's just terrific."
Of course, Haire didn't forget to mention his wife, who is also the club's publicity officer.
"She does all the stuff for the sponsors, sends all the emails," he said.
"She does a fantastic job."
