By BRYSON LUFF

The Gilgandra Panthers secured the rights to host the 2022 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League grand final when they managed to hold off a fast finishing Narromine Jets outfit in the major semi final played at Narromine last Saturday.

The Panthers prevailed in what was an a tense finish to an entertaining and hard fought encounter where the scoreboard read 20 to 16 at half time .

The visitors stretched that lead out to 32 to 16 mid way through the second half before the Jets surged back with two converted tries, the last one being with just three minutes remaining on the clock.

In a grandstand finish that had the crowd on the edge of their seats Gilgandra came away with a 32 to 28 victory and the home grand advantage come grand final day.

Joining them at Tony Mc’Grane Oval in Gilgandra on Saturday 17 September will be the Binnaway Bombshells reserve grade side who blasted the Narromine Jets off the park with an emphatic 46 to 4 win, as will the Baradine Magpies league tag side that managed a 12 to 8 victory over the Dunedoo Swannettes in another high standard and enthralling game between the two clubs.

On Sunday the focus shifted to Cobar’s Tom Knight Oval for the minor semi finals which opened with a highly entertaining reserve grade fixture between Gilgandra and Gulgong.

The Panthers seemed to have it all sewn up when they held a 20 points to 6 lead in the second half but two converted tries to the Terriers in the space of three minutes at the back end of the second half set up a gripping finale to the game which saw Gilgandra just get home 20 to 18.

Equally as gripping was the league tag game between Narromine and Coonamble with the Jets seemingly in control at half time leading 16 to 4.

The half time break did the Bearettes no harm because at the 15 minute mark of the second half they had somehow scored three tries, one converted and they lead 18 to 16.

The Jets did respond with a converted try with 8 minutes remaining on the clock and the held on to their 22 to 18 lead to book their spot in the preliminary final against Dunedoo next Saturday.

In first grade the Cobar Roosters came up against the Gulgong Terriers and whilst they came away with a seemingly comfortable 33 to 14 win they were well and truly given a run for their money by a Terrier outfit that was somewhat underdone in terms of match fitness due to a number of byes in the lead up to the game.

The Roosters lead 23 to 8 halfway through the second half, but the tenacious Terriers did not go away and it was only two tries in the final 5 minutes to home side that saw them get home 33 to 14.

The Roosters’ win keeps their premiership hops alive and they will now face off against the Narromine Jets in Narromine next Saturday, with the winner to face Gilgandra the following Saturday in the grand final.

It will be a huge “do or die” day for the Jets as they will be playing for a grand final berth in all three grades being up against Gilgandra in reserve grade, the Dunedoo Swannettes in league tag and Cobar in first grade.

 Narromine V Gil in major semi

Major semi finals played at Narromine Saturday 3^rd September.

League Tag

Baradine 12 (Madison Masman 2 tries, Maria Nagy 2 goals) defeated Dunedoo 8 (Georgia Lane, Alexis Gallagher tries)

Rugby League

Reserve Grade

Binnaway 46 (Connor Ticknell 4, Cody Whitty 2, Shannon Doole 2, Harrison May tries, Shawn Kidd 5 goals) defeated Narromine 4 (Jack Powell try)

First Grade

Gilgandra 32 (David Smith 2, George Alchin, Ash Hazelton, Anthony Harris, Hayden Smith tries, David Smith 4 goals) defeated Narromine 28 (Luke Thompson 2, Washie Itoya, Doug Potter, Tyler Beer tries, Janus Walford 4 goals).

Minor semi finals played at Cobar Sunday 4^th September

League Tag

Narromine 22 (Beth Clarke 2, Lily Spackman, Jacana Powell tries, Spackman 3 goals) defeated Coonamble 18 ( Hope Fernando, Shakaye Walker, Jessica Solomon, Erin Tym tries, Walker goal.

Rugby League

Reserve Grade

Gilgandra 20 (Mitch Bamblett 2, Kaleb Sutherland, Ivan Smith tries, Shane Ritchie, Alex Sutherland goals) defeated Gulgong 18 (Zane Wisbey, Cooper Furney, Nick Hardy tries, Wisbey 3 goals)

First Grade

Cobar 33 (Loma Atuah 2, Jack Brown, Gerald Mackay, Tom Plater, Jed Noonan tries, Plater 3, David Watson goals) defeated Gulgong 14 (Mitch McWhirter, Toby O’Leary, Duncan O’Leary tries, Brad James goal)

Preliminary Final next Saturday 10 Sept at Cale Oval, Narromine, with first game to kick off at 11.45am (reserve grade)

 Reserve Grade; Narromine V Gilgandra

League Tag; Dunedoo V Narromine

First Grade; Narromine V Cobar