By BRYSON LUFF

The 2022 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League kicked off on Saturday 23 April, but not before a tumultuous start to the competition, highlighted by the total withdrawal of the Coonabarabran Unicorns from the current season earlier in the week.

The Unicorns, along with the Binnaway Bombshells, had previously indicated that they would not be fielding a first-grade side in 2022, but would continue with a league tag side throughout the year in the hope that the club could regroup and rebuild a first-grade team next year.

This meant that a total re-jig of the previously adopted draw had to be done and this was finally settled upon just a few weeks ago.

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Unfortunately, the problems that beset the Unicorn’s first grade side have now also affected their league tag team and the club has sadly made the move to totally withdraw for the season, leaving the Castlereagh League competition with nine clubs.

The League will run with the draw that was arrived at a few weeks ago, with clubs drawn to play Coonabarabran now having a bye.

Not an ideal start to the year, but nonetheless the competition did get underway last Saturday with first grade wins going to Narromine, Cobar and Coonamble.

Playing in their first Castlereagh League competition game the Narromine Jets got their campaign underway with a solid 38 to 14 win over local rivals, the Trangie Magpies at Trangie, scoring eight tries to three in the process to continue their good form after winning the Castlereagh League knockout at Gilgandra just a few weeks earlier.

Further west a mistake-riddled Gilgandra Panther outfit paid the price against the Cobar Roosters at Cobar’s Tom Knight Memorial Oval, going down 34 to 14 after being well in the match at half time with the scoreboard then reading 18 points to 10 but the home side’s power, aided by Gilgandra’s lack of ball security saw the red white and blues secure a flying start to their season.

In the remaining game, at Baradine it was a close affair between the Magpies and their arch rivals, the Coonamble Bears, but in the final washup the visitors claimed the important competition points with a tight 26 to 22 victory.

Looking to round two all three first grade games present as interesting affairs with Narromine hosting the Gulgong Bull Terriers in what will be the Terriers first competition game for the year making them a bit of an unknown quantity at this early stage of the competition.

Certainly the Jets, whilst pleased with their opening win over Trangie, will need to be on their guard against what should be an enthusiastic Gulgong outfit.

Similarly, the Dunedoo Swans will be on the road for their first game of the season when they attempt the very often extremely difficult task of upsetting the Coonamble Bears on the Bear’s home patch.

The Bear’s have a young side who like to give the ball have plenty of lateral movement and the Swan’s defence could well face a stern test.

In the other game the Trangie Magpies and the Gilgandra Panthers will clash at Trangie, this being Trangie’s Old Boy’s Day and it would seem that the Panther’s will be playing in front of a large and vocal Magpie crowd that will be willing the home side on.

Both teams will be keen to grab the competition points after they both went down in the opening round.

Round 1 scores

League Tag

Gulgong 30 (Tayla Pennel 2, Ebony Hudson 2, Kate Jackson, Abby Hollow tries, Mel Robinson 3 goals) defeated Binnaway 4 (Claire Jones try).

Gilgandra 18 (Mab Fuller 2, Sarah Wighton tries, Shian Chatfield 3 goals) defeated Cobar 8 (Brianna Watson, Jezebel Hitchins tries).

Narromine 60 (Logan McKenna- Maidens 4, Emily Edwards 3, Victoria Newland, Millah Phillips, Lily Spackman, Jeaona Powell, Jannalee Dwyer, Haleigh McCarney tries McKenna-Maidens 4 goals) defeated Trangie 0

Baradine 24 (Zali Hyde, Ashanti Pennell, Madison Masman, Hayley Andrews tries, Maria Nagy 4 goals) defeated Coonamble 0

Dunedoo bye

Competition ladder: Narromine 3, Gulgong 3, Baradine 3, Gilgandra 3, Dunedoo 3, Cobar 1, Coonamble 1, Binnaway 1, Trangie 1.

Rugby League

Cobar 34 (David Watson 2, Lomah Autua 2, Tom Plater, Gerald Mackay tries, Plater 5 goals) defeated Gilgandra 14 (Jamie Towney 2, Anthony Harris tries, David Smith goal).

Narromine 38 (Wax Neyaupa 2, Jahrydd Usher 2, Doug Potter, Luke Thompson, Tylah Beer, Alexander Marr tries, Potter 2 goals) defeated Trangie 16 (DJ Kennedy 2, Mick Louie tries, Matt Williams 2 goals)

Coonamble 26 (Jyesin Dixon 2, Tyrell Kennedy, Mark Jones, Jeremy Fernando tries, Andrew Wallace 3 goals) defeated Baradine 22 (Billy Carey, Jarvis Watton, Teigan Daniels, Logan Dewson tries, Carey 3 goals)

Competition Ladder: Narromine 3, Cobar 3, Coonamble 3, Gulgong 3, Dunedoo 3, Baradine 1, Gilgandra 1, Trangie 1.

Round 2 Saturday 30 April.

Binnaway V Cobar, Coonamble V Dunedoo, Trangie V Gilgandra, Narromine V Gulgong, Baradine bye