By BRYSON LUFF

The high-flying Narromine Jets encountered take off problems in their round six game of the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition in the form of a wedge of black swans.

The impact of the Swans upon the Jets saw Narromine surrender their undefeated status and the Dunedoo Swans retain the Boronia Cup in what many might regard as a boil over!

Prior to the meeting of the two teams at Dunedoo’s Robertson Oval the Jets had swept all before them whilst the Swans had recorded just a lone victory and were coming off a sizeable loss to the Cobar Roosters the previous week, and even the Dunedoo faithful would have had to have been somewhat dubious about the prospects of a victory over the visitors.

However, as per usual the Swans dug deep in front of their large band of supporters and history now tells us that they recorded a memorable 24 to 12 win.

Perhaps defending the Boronia Cup stirred up the Swan’s first grade players but the result once again showed that the Swans go up a notch or two when they play at home and it sets up what should be a hard-fought encounter with the Gulgong Terriers this Saturday with the time-honoured Boronia Cup once again on the line.

Whilst the Swans had plenty to celebrate come full time in the first grade encounter it was a different story in the league tag with that match in many ways mirroring what unfolded in the later game.

Going into the match the Swannettes were undefeated whilst the Jettettes had had mixed fortunes and were coming off a large loss to Baradine the previous week and few would have liked their chances against the slick Dunedoo outfit.

As it turned out the Jettettes scored four tries to two in their 18 to 8 victory to throw the league tag competition wide open.

Elsewhere in the Castlereagh...

In other round six games the Cobar Roosters proved to be too strong for the Trangie Magpies in both games played at Trangie on Friday night whilst it was a mixed bag for the Gulgong and Baradine clubs with Gulgong winning first grade 48 to 8 and Baradine claiming the league tag 26 to 6.

Coonamble defeated Binnaway 30 to nil in another Friday night game in their league tag clash.

Next Round

Round seven clashes this coming weekend will be highlighted by the Boronia Cup game at Dunedoo when they host the Gulgong Bull Terriers in a local derby.

The Terriers have enjoyed a strong start to the season and they would possibly like their chances of taking the Cup home with them, but if they do not heed the warning issued by the Swans last Saturday, they could well pay the price if they go into the match thinking they will be having nothing but a tough battle.

Meanwhile the Narromine Jets will be looking to regroup when they host the Gilgandra Panthers in what should be a big test for both clubs.

The Panthers first grade side will be eager for a run, having had two byes in a row, which depending on your view about playing week in and week out, may or may not be such a good thing for them.

Undoubtedly the Jets will be out to impress their home crowd and return to the winning side of the ledger after their fine start in the Castlereagh League competition.

A close and hard-fought encounter is anticipated.

In other games Coonamble will host Trangie and Cobar will make the long trek to Baradine whilst Binnaway has the bye.

Christie and Hood Round Six Scores

League Tag

Narromine 18 (Lily Spackman, Jacana Powell, Jannalie Dwyer, Lucy Dawson tries, Dwyer goal) defeated Dunedoo 8 (Allannah Stoddart, Amelia Taylor tries)

Cobar 66 (Brianna Watson 3, Taylah Good 2, Bianca Jacobson, Madison Taylor, Georgia Boland, Grace Burge, Melissa Singh tries, Watson 9 goals) defeated Trangie 12 (Katina Darcy, Chaviah Davison tries, Darcy and Davison goals)

Coonamble 30 (Shakaye Walker 2, Tori Canham 2, Hannah Towns 2 tries, Canham 3 goals) defeated Binnaway 0

Baradine 26 (Zali Hyde 2, Maria Nagy 2, Ashanti Pennell tries, Nagy 3 goals) defeated Gulgong 6 (Christina Cooper try, Mel Robinson goal).

Gilgandra bye.

Competition ladder

Dunedoo 16, Gilgandra 16, Baradine 15, Gulgong 14, Narromine, 14, Cobar 12, Coonamble 10, Trangie 8*, Binnaway 5*     *= game in hand

First Grade

Dunedoo 24 (Brian Bradshaw 2, Hugh Watts, Sam Wesley, Dan Lane tries, Lane 2 goals) defeated Narromine (Washington Itoya, Osa Balemainasoso tries, Janus Walford 2 goals)

Cobar 56 (Ashley Davies 3, Jack Bonn, Tim Hillam, Ben Griffiths, Jed Noonan, Tom Plater, David Watson, Marty Turton tries, Plater 8 goals) defeated Trangie 8 (DJ Kennedy, Corey Johnson tries)

Gulgong 48 (Ethan Pegus 4, Sam Gorrie 2, Kobey Thurston, Kyle Alexander, James Morrison tries, Morrison 5, Gorrie goals) defeated Baradine 8 (Travis Houghton, Wade Sutherland tries.

Competition ladder

Narromine 16, Cobar 16, Coonamble 15, Gulgong 15, Gilgandra 14, Dunedoo 12, Trangie 11, Baradine 9.

Next week

Narromine V Gilgandra, Coonamble V Trangie, Dunedoo V Gulgong (Boronia Cup Challenge), Baradine V Cobar. Binnaway bye