After the heartbreak of last year’s under 18s Country Championship final defeat at Tamworth, Western is one step closer to redemption having put the cleaners through Greater Northern Tigers 44-10 in a semi-final shellacking at Carrington Park on Saturday.

Ironically, Cameron Greenhalgh’s Rams lost last year’s decider 44-10 as well, but the boot was firmly on the other foot in 2017 thanks to an eight tries to two thumping of the Tigers.

Parkes backrower and Western skipper Darby Medlyn was part of last year’s Rams squad but missed out on the final after breaking his left leg in the final round.

“It’s definitely a goal to win one, we’re going to give it a good crack I’d say,” Medlyn said.

“I think it’s a good culture. All of the boys are good blokes, there’s no bad attitudes and everyone goes hard at training. It’s a great environment.

“All of the coaches are doing a great job and I think that’s why we’re doing well.”

Western was clinical in the opening half of the championship’s semi-final.

Tries to Clayton Couley, Riley Cheshire and Brock Naden the reward for dominating possession and field territory in the opening 35 minutes.

The Tigers, on the other hand, was an outfit crippled by poor handling and ill-discipline, the penalty count blowing out to 10-1 before North Tamworth hooker Ryan Ingram was sent to the sin bin.

Things didn’t improve after the break either, Western racing in further tries to Charlie Staines, a second-half brace to Luke Gale while both Couley and Naden completed their doubles to blaze the Rams to a 44-0 lead.

The Tigers bagged consolation tries to Alek Hall and Mitch Sheridan to add a touch of respectability to the encounter, but ultimately the visitors proved their own worst enemy throughout the semi-final, the penalty count ballooning to 13-3 in favour of the hosts late in the decider.

It finished at 13-5.

Medlyn praised his entire team, but saved special mention for the other members of the juggernaut Western engine room.

“I knew all week we were going to give it a good crack, our preparation was really good and we just stuck it to them,” he said.

“We try and build a platform in the forwards and we did a great job there, Riley Cheshire had a really good game and all of the boys did … the backs play off the back of that.

“We’ll get to training mid-week and I dare say there will be a few things there for us to work on and not drop off like we did towards the end.

“We’ll be firing and ready to go.”

WESTERN RAMS 44 (Luke Gale 2, Clayton Couley 2, Brock Naden 2, Riley Cheshire, Charlie Staines tries; Matt Burton 6 goals) def GREATER NORTHERN TIGERS 10 (Mitch Sheridan, Alek Hall tries; Bailey Ellis goal)