![Tamworth's open mixed team exceeded expectations in making it through to the B Bowl final at the State Cup played in Port Macquarie on the weekend. Tamworth's open mixed team exceeded expectations in making it through to the B Bowl final at the State Cup played in Port Macquarie on the weekend.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/f79a7689-a589-492e-9ff9-ce70c73aea82.jpg/r27_413_1005_1072_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Tamworth open mixed side lived up to their Titans moniker as the Tamworth Touch Association made a successful return from the State Cup wilderness.
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Before the weekend it had been at least six years since Tamworth had last fielded a team at the tournament.
But the Titans showed they could match it with the state's best, with the open mixed just falling short of returning from Port Macquarie with some silverware.
The Jermain Walford-coached side had a fantastic tournament making it through to the B Bowl final.
TTA committee member and senior mixed coach Steph Halpin said they probably didn't play their best match of the weekend in the final, a bit of fatigue from a big couple of days creeping in as they went down to Nowra 4-1.
But it didn't take anything away from a campaign that "100 percent" exceeded anyone's expectations. Especially after coming away from the earlier Country Championships with only a couple of wins, at best.
![The senior mixed team probably didn't have the tournament they'd hoped but still took away a lot of positives. The senior mixed team probably didn't have the tournament they'd hoped but still took away a lot of positives.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ingYyB85ps4jmG9t8mfsHP/ec8fb3b0-8dc2-4beb-b539-c1148645fd77.jpg/r0_134_1331_966_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It's a credit to those guys because after country champs they came back and they were training three times a week and they tightened up with their structures and really knuckled down," Halpin said.
"They did work hard and they well and truly deserve it, and I hope that the same crew moves forward into next year with that bit of experience under their belt.
"They know what they need to do now."
She did make special mention of the team's captain, Scott Berry.
"He was just an absolute driving force for those guys and a standout on the field but also motivationally off the field. He was brilliant," she said.
"That meant we hadn't gelled by the time so we had to sort of work on that throughout the tournament," Halpin said.
They still managed to match it with some of the teams.
But, it wasn't really about the results, it was about dipping their toes back into the representative waters and hopefully growing interest in playing for the Titans.
It was a good championships for the region with the Gunnedah mixed open side playing off for the B championship.
The silverware also just eluded them going down to Peninsula 13-4.