By BRYSON LUFF

Not only did the Narromine Jets grab the Boronia Cup when they defeated the Gilgandra Panthers in their Round 16 game played Gilgandra last Saturday, they also secured themselves an opportunity to finish as minor premiers.

That opportunity will present itself this coming Saturday when they host the Cobar Roosters in a top of the table clash at Cale Oval.

With two competition rounds remaining the Jets are one point adrift of the Roosters on the competition ladder, and if they can win next Saturday they will claim the minor premiership because they have a bye in the final round.

The Jets pretty much had their game against the Panthers stitched up after thirty minutes of play, having shot out to 16 points to nil lead at that point, crossing for tries in the first, ninth and thirtieth minutes.

Played on a heavy track the home side rarely crossed the halfway mark in the opening forty minutes, save for a brief excursion down the other end with five minutes remaining to half time at which point they managed to score a converted try to make it 16 to 6.

That try was cancelled out just a couple of minutes later when the Jets hooker, and one of their best on the day, Tylah Beer burrowed over for his second try from close range to make it 20 to 6 when the half time hooter was blown.

The home side did come out showing renewed vigour in the second stanza but were seemingly intent on scoring from kicks, rather than putting the ball through the hands when the Jets defence was well and truly stretched on numerous occasions.

A rare backline movement by the Panthers resulted in try to their centre George Alchin and at 20 to 12 they were back in the contest with 25 minutes remaining in the game.

At this point the momentum was with Gilgandra and they looked as if they could finish over the top of the Jets but that momentum seemed to evaporate when the Panthers were penalised for a double movement with ten minutes to go followed a minute later by the sin binning of a Panther player.

The Jets scored soon after the departure of the Gilgandra player and they went on to register a 26 to 12 win.

The loss by the Panthers was indeed a costly one, relegating them from first to third on the ladder.

The first-grade victory by the Jets finished off a trifecta of wins for the red and whites after they took out an entertaining reserve grade game 18 to 16 and the league tag fixture 24 to 16, the loss by the Pink Panthers seeing them tumble out of the top four and having to face two teams above them on the ladder in their remaining two games, those being Coonamble and Baradine.

Obviously, the Boronia Cup clash at Narromine this Saturday will have a massive influence on the final pecking order in first grade but mathematically any one of the top three sides can still finish as minor premiers such is the tightness of the competition.

The remaining games for the three teams in contention for the minor premiership are:

Cobar versus Narromine (away) and Coonamble (home).

Narromine versus Cobar (home) and bye.

Gilgandra versus Coonamble (away) and Baradine (home).