AT THE END OF THE DAY | The Gorillas legends that helped lift a small town to top of Central West

They beat the Bathurst Bulldogs 44-17 on grand final day and swept every other side on their way to the break-through premiership win a decade ago.

But how big a moment was it?

On a scale of one to Owen Finegan's 1999 World Cup try how big a deal was the Gorillas' title triumph in the grand scheme of things?

A rugby-loving town of just over 3000 people proving the best club outfit in the region, maybe even the best in country rugby that season.

Craig Duff puts it like only Craig Duff can.

"We used to joke a little bit," Duff begins, wearing a commemorative '09 jersey donning his No.15 playing number from that victory 10 years ago.

"We were the only team in the competition without a Macca's," he grins, the scorer of two tries in the 2009 decider. Luke Harding also scored a brace.

"It was a very big achievement for a town of 3500 people. At the time I think Trangie had just formed as well and they took a few players away but not the core of our first grade side.

"It was a very, very big achievement."

Success breeds success, of course, and while the 2009 victory didn't result in Narromine landing a McDonald's franchise it did result in the club hosting grand finals in 2010 and 2011 as well, Narromine going down in both deciders.

The heartbreak of those defeats still lingers, the 2011 decider particularly tough given the red men went down to Parkes in extra time.

But they also serve as a timely reminder of just how tough it was for Narromine to win in 2009, against clubs that draw from much, much larger player pools. Most in the 40,000-plus people range.

No club in the state punched above its weight quite like Narromine did, and continues to do so.

"It was definitely emotional," 2009 player-coach Luke Brown said.

"Guys like Craig Campbell and Craig Duff, they'd been here since the end of the 1990s.

"We definitely had that hard slog and took our turn at being flogged by the bigger sides and that year I guess we had the crew to do it."

The biggest part of that crew, both Duff and Brown agreed, was the inclusion of Lachie McCutcheon.

The tearaway backrower returned to Narromine in 2009 and made an immediate impact on the fortunes of the club, leading the Gorillas to an opening round win that sticks in the mind of Duff.

In fact, straight after that 32-26 at University Oval the Narromine players knew they were on to something special.

"I'd been playing for eight years before that and we'd never ever beaten them down there at home," Duff said.

"It was the first time we did that and it felt a bit different to previous years, obviously with Lachie back he was a massive influence. He picked up off the back of the ruck twice that day and ran 60m and scored both times. He was a freak."

Was and still is a freak.

McCutcheon is still playing for his beloved Gorillas and during Saturday's reunion at Cale Oval the monstrous No.8 was again finding space and using his remarkably giant stride to score long-range tries, this time against Mudgee - a town with a Macca's.

The only noticeable difference in McCutcheon's game a decade on seems to be that bushranger beard popping out the bottom of his trademark headgear.

Still, McCutcheon was a goliath in 2009.

He didn't lose a game that year - the Gorillas dropped two in a row at the turn of the regular season, against Forbes and then the Bulldogs, but the former Sydney Uni lock was overseas for those losses.

The inclusions of McCutcheon and prop Charlie Tuck "added the polish", Duff recalls, to what was an already formidable pack that set the foundation for a team that included a host of the club's 2007 second grade title winners.

In many ways season 2009 was owned by McCutcheon. But grand final day belonged to the town. And that's what sticks out for both Brown and Duff.

"It was just massive. I'd never seen a crowd like it. It was unbelievable," Duff said, the crowd eclipsing the 3000 mark.

Remember, Narromine's population is about the same number. They effectively fitted the entire town onto one patch of grass to witness history.

"When we ran out the tunnel went to halfway. It was a big deal for everyone," Duff recalls.

Brown remembers grand final day being the perfect story - everything that could have gone right for Narromine did.

"We were always on the fringes," he said, Narromine perennial finalists without making much noise at the business end of the year.

"We'd play well against Dubbo and we had our days, we just couldn't string enough of them together.

"But in '09, for whatever reason, it just seemed to be our year and then success breeds success and we went on with it. The day itself, every bounce of the ball went our way. The 50-50 came our way."

"We just got a role on. We knew we were a chance of doing something pretty special if we pulled our finger out," Duff said.