RUGBY LEAGUE
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In the same week NSW posted their first State of Origin series since he was born, nine-year-old Beauden Clarke celebrated his own special rugby league victory.
Like the Blues in the previous eight years, young Beauden was yet to celebrate victory this season, until his Huntley Rhinos teammates posted a 56-nil victory.
The winning feeling was only further enhanced by NSW's emotional 6-4 triumph in Origin game two, which sealed their first series success since 2005.
"It was pretty amazing, he lives and breathes footy, he's always throwing a ball around the house," his mother Jonni said.
"He plays for a team who doesn't win too often either, so when they had a win in the same week as NSW won, he finally got to know how if feels.
"It's been a long time for NSW, so he certainly understood it was a big deal for the Blues to win, he was pretty excited."
The Clarke family, from Dapto, are passionate Bulldogs season ticket holders, enjoying the wave of success in both the NRL and Origin, with Canterbury halves Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds spearheading the Blues' triumph.
While a young generation have struggled to embrace a NSW team starved of success, Beauden was part of a NSW Rugby League Academy four-day Blues fan Narrabeen camp where he got to experience what it means to be a Blues fan.
"He had a great time," she said.
"It was all about some skill and team mateship building, he went up with six of his teammates and there were 110 there in total."