The Narromine Jets have now learnt a lesson that has been taught to many, many teams in the past, that lesson being that silencing the Coonamble Bears on their home patch is quite a difficult assignment, irrespective of where the Grizzlies might be located on the competition ladder!

Going into the match Coonamble had registered just one win for the season but come full-time that number had doubled after they downed the Jets 38 to 30 much to the delight of their red and black army!

The loss by the Jets, combined with the Baradine Magpies holding the Cobar Roosters to a 30 all draw in the Battle of the Feathers at Baradine has added to what will be tense race to the finals with just three rounds to play, with every first-grade game to be played over the coming three weekends having the potential to greatly influence the final composition of the top five!

The draw with the Magpies has relegated the Cobar Roosters to third position on the ladder and sets up an epic battle with the Dunedoo Swans at Dunedoo this weekend.

The Swans just managed to get over the top of the Coonabarabran Unicorns in Coonabarabran, winning by just two points in a hard-fought contest, with the vital three competition points that they picked leapfrogging them over the Roosters into outright second position.

The remaining game, played at Gulgong’s Billy Dunn Oval in front of a very supportive Terrier crowd who were enjoying the Gulgong club’s centenary celebrations saw the Gilgandra Panthers score the first points in the game in the fifth minute as well the final points in the match with three minutes remaining, however the intervening 72 minutes belonged to the home side as was evidenced on the scoreboard which read 30 to 10 at fulltime.

This was not the Terrier’s tidiest of performances for the season, but it was more than enough for them to see off the Panther’s Boronia Cup Challenge and for them to retain their unbeaten status.

The win has all but assured them of gaining the minor premiership, but they would be ill advised to try and coast into the semi finals in their remaining three competition games, beginning this weekend when they will be hosting a Coonamble Bears outfit that will be buoyed by their victory over the Jets last Saturday!

Following that game the Terriers will have a testing road trip to Baradine before playing at home against the Cobar Roosters in the final round.

In other games this weekend Narromine will be hoping to get back into the winners list after back-to-back losses to Gulgong then Coonamble when the Baradine Magpies pay them a visit to Cale Oval.

The Magpies are a young and enthusiastic side with a never say die attitude and this game presents itself as an attractive fixture with much to be lost by the Jets and equally much to be gained by the Magpies.

To accommodate rugby union games at the same ground on the same day the reserve grade game will kick off at 10.30am, followed by league tag and then the big first grade game with an expected kick off around 1.00pm.

The match of the round will be played at Dunedoo, with the second placed Swans are at home to the Cobar Roosters who are currently third on the congested competition ladder, but they have the opportunity to reclaim second position if they can get over the top of the Swans at Robertson Oval.

The remaining game will see Gilgandra at home to the Binnaway Bombshells.

The Panthers will be out to erase the memory of their 34 to 30 loss to the Bombshells at The Crater in round 3, a loss that is still having repercussions for them in their battle to stay in the semi-final race.

The Coonabarabran Unicorns will enjoy picking up the competition points courtesy of the bye this weekend before resuming their crack at a semi final berth when they host Gilgandra in round 13!

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 11 Scores

League Tag

Baradine 34 (Savannah Carey 3, Stephanie Bowling, Holly Woodham, Hayley Lomax tries, Anna Arndell 3, Holly Arndell 2 goals) defeated Cobar 16 (Brianna Watson, Zoe Egan, Neve Carter tries).

Narromine 52 (Shian Chatfield 3, Jacana Powell 2, Lily Spackman, Rebecca Smythe, Emily Edwards, Beth Clarke tries, Shian Chatfield 6, Talitha Chatfield, Clarke goals) defeated Coonamble 4 (Tori Canham try).

Gulgong 24 (Chloe Patrick, Olivia Holt, Laurissa Hay, Amali Hollow tries, Hay 4 goals) defeated Gilgandra 0.

Competition Ladder

Dunedoo 33 (Played 11, Won 11, Lost 0), Narromine 28 (P10, W 9, L1), Cobar 25 (P11, W7, L4), Baradine 23 (P11, W6, L5), Coonamble 21 (P11, W5, L6), Gulgong 19 (P11, W4, L7), Binnaway 16 (P12, W2, L10), Gilgandra 11 (P11, W0, L11).

Reserve Grade

Baradine 16 (Liam Blackhall, Wyatte Andrews, Ethan Andrews tries, Jake Hellegers 2 goals) drew with Cobar 16 (Chris Deighton 2, Jacob Clarke tries, Robert Childs, Tyson Brilley goals).

Coonabarabran 32 (Tyson Galvin 3, Sam Pickette 2, Kyle Turner, Dylan Brand tries, Billy Whillock 2 goals) defeated Dunedoo 2 (James Healy goal)

Gulgong 26 (Brad Toole, Roo Warwicker, Paul Norris, Nick Hardy, Ash Bassett tries, Koby Thurston 2, Kyle Alexander goals) defeated Gilgandra 16 (Kaleb Sutherland, Mitch Bamblett, Ned Kelly tries, Alex Sutherland 2 goals).

Narromine bye

Competition Ladder

Gulgong 6, Baradine 5, Coonabarabran 4, Gilgandra 4, Narromine 4, Dunedoo 4, Cobar 3.

Draw for Saturday July 29;

Narromine V Baradine (10.30am kick off) Dunedoo V Cobar.

Gulgong, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran byes.

First Grade

Baradine 30 (Brandon Worrell 2, Dylan Hohnberg 2, Daniel Howe tries, Jesse McElhinney 5 goals) drew with Cobar 30 (Thomas Plater 2, Ben Griffiths, Gerald Mackay, Timothy Hillam, Zane Taylor tries, Griffiths 3 goals). Played at Baradine

Coonamble 38 (Kevin Welsh 3, Carl Anderson 2, Nathan Walker Jnr, Josh Forgione tries, Mitch Nalder 5 goals) defeated Narromine 30 (Luke Thompson 2, Tyrell Charters 2, Will Olney, Charlie Bonham tries, Doug Potter 3 goals). Played at Coonamble.

Dunedoo 22 (Camden Sutton 2, Tim Condon 2 tries, Dan Lane 3 goals) defeated Coonabarabran 20 (Bailey Reedman, Tyson Birtles, Matty Watton, Thomas Varty tries, Nick Willoughby 2 goals). Played at Coonabarabran.

Gulgong 30 (Sam Gorrie 2, Ethan Pegus, Mitch McWhirter, Tom Hawkins, Kyle Alexander tries, Brad James 3 goals) defeated Gilgandra 10 (Chris Fuller, Tom Brisbane tries, DJ Smith goal). Played at Gulgong.

Competition Ladder

Gulgong 33, Dunedoo 27, Cobar 26, Narromine 25, Gilgandra 23, Coonabarabran 21, Coonamble 17, Binnaway 17.

Round 12 games Saturday 29^th July

Narromine V Baradine (10.30am kick off for the first of three games).

Dunedoo V Cobar (Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup game in League Tag).

Gilgandra V Binnaway.

Gulgong V Coonamble (Boronia Cup Challenge game in first grade).

Coonabarabran bye