By BRYSON LUFF

Supporters of both the Narromine Jets and the Gilgandra Panthers filed out of Narromine’s Cale Oval questioning if there has ever been a more dramatic finish to a game of rugby league than the one that they had just witnessed.

With just three minutes to go Gilgandra supporters when ecstatic when their winger George Alchin appeared to everyone to have touched down in the north corner on the eastern side of the field, finishing off a movement that started deep in Panther’s half to break what was a 16 all deadlock on the scoreboard at the time.

Moments later they were looking at Narromine’s Brad Pickering slotting a penalty goal for the Jets at the other end of the field to give the home side an 18 to 16 win.

On the report of a touch judge Alchin’s “try” was denied and a penalty was awarded to the Jet’s way back down the other end of the field where the Panther’s movement had started.

The reason for the penalty being that when the Panther’s winger was touching down in the north-eastern corner of the field, a Gilgandra interchange player, in his exuberance and celebration at what he was witnessing, left the bench located on the western side of the field near the half way line, and crossed the nearby sideline, and whilst the interchange player was nowhere near the play or had any involvement in what happened on the field his crossing of the sideline meant that Gilgandra technically had 14 players on the field before the try was awarded.

This was duly reported by the touch judge and the try was denied and the penalty given some 80 metres up the field.

It is doubtful if ever a game has been won or lost in such circumstances but the result means that the Jets retain the Boronia Cup and their upward location on the competition table!.

Other matches

Meanwhile at Baradine the Magpies registered their first win for the season when they claimed quite a sizeable scalp in the form of the Dunedoo Swans winning 22 to 10 much to the delight of their big band of faithful followers.

At the same time the Cobar Roosters saw off the Coonabarabran Unicorns at Tom Knight Oval, the home side scoring seven tries to four in their 38 to 22 win and Gulgong continued their unbeaten run thus far in season 2023 with a comfortable 66 to 6 win over the Binnaway Bombshells.

There will be a general bye in the competition this weekend before round 6 on the 17^th June, when one of the highlights of the round will be the league tag clash between the two undefeated sides, the Dunedoo Swanettes and the Narromine Jets at Dunedoo who will be playing for the Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup.

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 5 scores.

Youth League

Cobar 42 (Reynold Mugugin 3, Kai Taylor 2, Jayden Paul 2, Toby Greenwood tries, Oisin McMullen 5 goals) defeated Binnaway 4 (Clayton Chatfield try).

League Tag

Narromine 56 (Lily Spackman 2, Shian Chatfield 2,Emily Edwards 2, Beth Clarke 2, Millah Phillips, Rebecca Smythe tries, Shian Chatfield 6, Talitha Chatfield 2 goals) defeated Gilgandra 8 (Wendy Brown, Chloe McLean tries)

Dunedoo 18 (Alexis Gallagher 2, Lauren Sullivan, Hayley Berg tries, Georgia Price goal) defeated Baradine 0.

Gulgong 16 (Tayissa Lucas, Kimberley Sharpe,, Laurissa Hay, Justine Brown tries) defeated Binnaway 0.

Competition Ladder

Narromine 18 (played 6, Won 6, Lost 0), Dunedoo 18 (P 6, W 6, L O), Coonamble 14 (P 6, W 4, L 2), Cobar 12 ( P 6, W 3, L 3), Gulgong 12 (P 6, W 3, L 3), Baradine 11 (P 7, W 2, L 5), Gilgandra 6 (P 6, W 0, L 6)

First Grade

Narromine 18 (Washie Itoya, Mitch Rixon, Ryan Wheeler tries, Doug Potter 3 Brad Pickering goals) defeated Gilgandra 16 (George Alchin, James Pomfrett, Brandon Hammond tries, Brandon Hammond, Hayden Smith tries)

Cobar 38 (Tyler Coughlan 2, Thomas Plater, Hamish McLeod, Siane Fakahia, Zane Taylor, Slade Neale tries, Plater 5 goals) defeated Coonabarabran 22 (Kari Calleija, Andrew Harris, Harry Reardon, Tyler Frazer tries, Dean Lewin 3 goals)

Baradine 22 (Thomas Martin, Harry Allan, Brandon Worrell, Travis Houghton tries, Jesse McElhinney 3 goals) defeated Dunedoo 10 (Tyson Searle, Sam Christensen tries, Dan Lane goal)

Gulgong 66 (Reece Fischer 2, Ethan Pegus, Tom James, Mitch McWhirter, Patrick Durrant, Sam Gorrie, Brad James, Blake Gorrie, Dan Crane, Duncan O’Leary, Rhys Beames tries, James 9 goals) defeated Binnaway 6 (Edward Kuras try and goal).

Competition Ladder

Gulgong 15, Narromine 13, Cobar 13, Dunedoo 11, Gilgandra 9, Coonabarabran 9, Coonamble 9, Binnaway 9, Baradine 8.

Next weekend there will be a general bye.

Round 6 to be played on 17 June.

Dunedoo V Narromine (Jessica Skinner Cup Challenge in the League Tag)

Binnaway V Baradine

Gilgandra V Coonamble

Coonabarabran V Gulgong

Cobar bye.