By BRYSON LUFF

The Dunedoo Swans broke through for their first victory of the 2022 season in round four of the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition when they managed to see off the Baradine Magpies in their Boronia Cup Challenge game played at Dunedoo on Saturday 14 May.

This was the Swans' first home game for the year, and they did not disappoint their large band of loyal supporters when they managed an 18 to 6 win over the visitors on a heavy Robertson Oval track.

Scoring three tries to one, the green and whites followed on from their promising display against the Gilgandra Panthers the week before and gave an indication that they are not in the competition just to make up the numbers.

As has been the norm between the Swannettes and the Magpies in recent years the League Tag encounter between the two clubs was again an absolute thriller and top-class affair with the Swannettes scoring after the final hooter to claim a 18 to 16 victory.

Dunedoo Swans claimed their first victory against Baradine Magpies on the weekend. PHOTO: Peter Sherwood

At Gulgong the Terriers proved to be too strong for the Gilgandra Panthers, taking the game 18 points to six after leading 12 nil at the break.

The Panthers could offer no excuses for the loss, having had the bulk of the possession in good field position for a lengthy portion of the first half but failing to grasp the opportunities presented to them by taking bad options in attack.

It must be said that the deserved Gulgong victory was very much on the back of stout defensive effort throughout the encounter.

Their fullback Ethan Pegus scored two of his teams three tries but it was his sublime handing skills in very slippery conditions that won him accolades after he repeatedly cleaned up the many grubber kicks sent his way by the Panthers and along with their lock, James Morrison, he stood out for the victors!

The Narromine Jets continued their fine start to the season when they managed to stave off the Coonamble Bears in their top of the table clash played at the Jet’s Cale Oval.

The Bears held an 8-nil lead after 18 minutes, having scored two unconverted tries and it wasn’t until eight minutes before the break that the Jets were able to breach the Coonamble defence and with the try converted the score board read 8 points to 6 in favour of the visitors at half time.

The lead soon changed after the resumption of play with the Jets going in for a converted try just two minutes in to the second half.

The game moved from end to end, with both teams losing the ball just short of the line before a further Jets try secured them an 18 to 8 lead with 26 minutes remaining.

The game looked as if it was reasonably safe in the Jets keeping until, with 15 minutes remaining, their lock was initially sin binned for advising the referee of the error of his ways.

Further advice from the player was not well received by the match official and the number 13 was subsequently informed that his participation on the fixture was hereby terminated and the Jets were down to 12 men on the field for the remainder of the game.

Three minutes after his departure a dazzling attacking raid by the Bears saw them go in for a converted try and with the scoreboard reading 18 to 14 it was game on!

Soon after the Jets opted for a shot at goal after being awarded a penalty in a handy position and when that was duly slotted, they clung to a six-point lead with nine minutes remaining.

The Bears were not going to die wondering, and the prospect of them salvaging at least a draw was well and truly on the cards as they constantly attacked the Narromine line, but the Jets scrambled in defence to hold on for a hard-fought victory which sees them now alone at the top of the competition ladder.

The Jets will be out to maintain their high ranking when they take their first trip to Baradine this Saturday, with the Magpies, and and their vocal supporters, certain to give them a warm welcome to Maggieland.

In other games this week there will be a western battle of the feathers at Cobar when the Roosters host the Dunedoo Swans at Tom Knight Oval and in the match of the round the Coonamble Bears will be at home to the Gulgong Bull Terriers.

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 4 Scores

League Tag

Dunedoo 18 (Brianna Smith, Amelia Taylor, Chloe Patrick, Georgie Lane tries, Hallie Hogden goal) defeated Baradine (Savannah Carey, Kira Gardiner, Ashanti Pennell tries, Maria Nagy 2 goals)

Gilgandra 26 (Mab Fuller 2, Rani Diggs, Shian Chatfield, Kylie Louie tries, Chatfield 3 goals) defeated Gulgong 10 (Taylor Pennell, Emily Kirk tries, Mel Robinson goal)

Narromine 38 (Emily Edwards, Lily Spackman, Millah Phillips, Dannielle Harris, Logan McKenna-Maidens, Bradey Leech, Jacana Powell tries, Jannalie Dwyer 3, Powell, Spackman goals) defeated Coonamble 16 (Tori Canham 2, Emily Ryan, Mickayla McEwen tries)

Trangie V Binnaway game deferred due to the state of the Trangie game

Cobar bye

Competition Ladder

Dunedoo 12, Gulgong 10, Narromine 10, Gilgandra 10, Baradine 9, Cobar 8, Coonamble 6, Trangie 4*, Binnaway 3*     *= game in hand

Rugby League

Dunedoo 18 (Camden Sutton 2, Shannon Doole tries, Dan Lane 3 goals) defeated Baradine 6 (Johno Evans try, Jesse McElhinney goal)

Gulgong 16 (Ethan Pegus 2, Curtis Wolthers tries, James Morrison 2 goals) defeated Gilgandra 6 (Jamie Towney try, DJ Smith goal)

Narromine 20 (Jordan Richardson, Jahreyd Usher, Kyle Smith tries, Janus Walford 4 goals) defeated Coonamble 14 (Tyrell Kennedy, Mark Jones, Daniel Sangster tries, Jacob Fernando goal)

Competition Ladder

Narromine 12, Coonamble 10, Gulgong 10, Cobar 10, Gilgandra 8, Dunedoo 8, Baradine 7, Trangie 7

Round 5 Saturday 21^st May: Coonamble V Gulgong, Baradine V Narromine, Cobar V Dunedoo, Binnaway V Gilgandra, Trangie bye.