Jets downed!

A tense reserve grade game between the Narromine Jets and the Binnaway Bombshells set the tone at Narromine’s Cale Oval, with the sizeable crowd treated to three hard-fought and entertaining games.

Whilst points in the opening game were hard to come by, the reserve grade game was an intense battle with the final result being an 8 points to nil win to the Bombies.

A direct result of their stoic try line defence.

The Jets continuously pounded away but could not find a way through!

Binnaway led six points to nil at halftime, with the only points in the second half being the addition of a penalty goal to their tally.

A very high-quality league tag game between the Narromine Jets and the Coolah Flyers followed, and spectators didn’t have to wait long for the excitement to begin with a spectacular diving “tag” by a Coolah player stopping an equally spectacular long run by a Jets player just centimetres from the goal line in the opening minute.

Then a few moments later, the Flyers had gone the length of the field and scored under the posts at the other end!

At halftime, the Flyers were ahead 10 to 6, but just four minutes after the resumption of play, they were behind 10 to 12!

The lead changed twice before Coolah edged ahead 20 to 18 with 12 minutes of play remaining.

The Flyers scored again in the final minutes to register a 26 to 18 win and gain entry into the grand final next Saturday.

Then there was First Grade.

A try-fest, the hosts Narromine and visiting Coonabarabran Unicorns combined for a whopping 78 points, 50 coming in the second half alone.

The Jets got away to a great start against the Unicorns, kicking a 40/20 in the opening minute.

They scored a converted try to lead 6 to nil before extending that lead to 8 to nil via a penalty goal in the 11th minute.

However, the rest of the first half belonged to the Unicorns, who scored four tries before the break, two of them converted to lead 20 to 8 at halftime!

The first of what was to become several Unicorn kick reception errors handed the Jets possession at the beginning of the second half, and quickly resulted in a Narromine try under the posts and a 20 to 14 scoreline.

The opportunity to take two points from a penalty was accepted by the Unicorns, and they edged out to 22 to 14 leaders not long after.

The Jets’ winger Epeli Draunidalo then scored two spectacular, rapid-fire tries, both converted, and the Jets had hit the front, leading 26 to 22 with just 11 minutes gone in the second half.

The remainder of the game was a roller coaster for the supporters of both sides, with the lead changing three times in a chaotic finish before only two points separated them at full-time, the Unicorns getting home 40 to 38!

The win by the Unicorns propels them into the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League grand final next Saturday, when they will play the Coolah Kangaroos at Coolah, with the ‘Roos going into the game undefeated in season 2025, and in fact have only lost one game in two years, that being the major semi-final in 2024!

The Unicorns, however, have tested the Kangaroos in their two meetings so far this season, losing by only two points, 22 to 20 in round 9 and then going down 30 to 24 in the final competition round, and they will enter the grand final full of confidence that they can get over the top of the ‘Roos!

The grand final action will kick off at 11:15 am, with the reserve grade game between the Baradine Magpies and the Binnaway Bombshells expected to draw a big early crowd of passionate supporters from both clubs early into Coolah’s Bowen Oval!

That game will be followed by what should be a cracking league tag fixture between the Dunedoo Swannettes and the Coolah Flyers.

The Swannettes are the only side to have defeated the Flyers in 2025, that win coming in the major semifinal a couple of weeks ago at Coolah, and whilst they will be highly encouraged by that victory the Flyers will be equally determined to seek redemption for that loss in front of their home crowd and claim the premiership.

Castlereagh Player of the Year awards will be announced after the respective grand finals!

Reserve Grade

The Binnaway Bombshells will meet the Baradine Magpies in the Reserve Grade Grand Final [PICTURE: Binnaway Bombshells]

Binnaway Bombshells 8 (Ashley Widders tries; Travis Tighe 2 goals) defeated Narromine Jets 0.

League Tag

The Coolah Flyers will enjoy a home grand final next week when they take on the Dunedoo Swanettes [PICTURE: Coolah Kangaroos Rugby League Club]

Coolah Flyers 26 (Molly Burgess 2, Brooklyn Blackadder, Jenna Packham, Monika Mitrevska tries; Tori Mogg 3 goals) defeated Narromine Jets 18 (Shian Chatfield 3 tries; Shian Chatfield 3 goals).

First Grade

Nick Willoughby's six conversions were the difference on Saturday, taking down a red hot Narromine Jets side by just two points [PICTURE: Coonabrabran Unicorns Rugby League]

Coonabarabran Unicorns 40 (Tyson Farrell 2, Jordan Baker 2, Sonny Bill Walker, Tyler Frazer, Eddie Kuras tries; Nick Willoughby 6 goals) defeated Narromine Jets 38 (Epeli Dranaudalo 2, Janus Walford, Corey Redman, Jack Bastick, Sam Gainsford tries; Corey Cox 7 goals).

Grand Finals at Bowen Oval, Coolah, Saturday 30 August with the first game (reserve grade) to kick off at 11:15 am and other games to follow.

Reserve Grade: Baradine Magpies V Binnaway Bombshells.

League Tag: Dunedoo Swannettes V Coolah Flyers

First Grade: Coolah Kangaroos V Coonabarabran Unicorns.