THE CSU Mungoes will attempt to take out their first Tertiary League silverware since 1998 when they take on Newcastle in the second division grand final on Saturday.

The university side booked their spot in the decider with a thrilling 22-18 win over Cumberland University at Western Weekender Stadium in Sydney last weekend and are now just 80 minutes away from a trophy that no-one would have thought possible even two years ago.

“We started off really well in the first 20 minutes and got out to a good lead, and basically just managed to hang on,” captain-coach Joel Begnell explained.

“There was a fight during the second half and we were left with 11 men on the field while Cumberland were down to 12 and pretty much just hung in there for the rest of the game.”

Having fought their way into the grand final, the side must now overcome the clinical Newcastle team who will start as raging favourites, but Begnell gives his side a good chance nonetheless.

“They are a very well-drilled team and are great defensively all across the park but they can definitely be beaten,” he said.

“Trent Hile in the centres has been in good form and scoring plenty of tries, and guys like [prop] Ben Andrews and [second-rower] Jacob Moorehead will be really important in hitting it up and giving us halves some room to move.”

Regardless of Saturday’s result, CSU are already winners to some degree.

While they have generally always had a competitive top-grade outfit competing in both Group 10 reserve grade and Tertiary League first division, the seconds have routinely struggled in the past.

In 2005 and 2006, they won just three games across the two seasons before a drought-breaking finals appearance last season.

As the longest serving member and president of the club, Begnell knows just how far his side has come and he could not be prouder.

“I really can’t put words on it – just in the space of three years there has been a tenfold turnaround,” he said.

“Keeping the same group of players on the park each week has made a massive difference because consistency has been a massive problem for us in the past.”

The decider – to be played in the Sydney suburb of Guilford – is sure to be a fiery encounter thanks to a week of by-play and general banter on the respective clubs’ Facebook pages.