They've done it.One of the most gripping grand finals in memory, the Coonamble Rams rocked up to Walgett and got the job done, beating the undefeated Gulargambone Flamin Galahs 15-12.The ultimate reward for a team united by one dream - winning it all.No win could ever be sweeter, then finally taking down Gulargambone on the biggest stage of them all to ruin their perfect season.And it's not just the win, but the nature of it, and the history behind these two teams.The Flamin Galahs have always had the wood on the Rams, including that incredible preliminary final game in 2024.And after the major semi-final this year went the way of Gulargambone just two weeks ago, Gulargambone just needed to get the job done one more time.But they couldn’t.The Rams came with a game plan and executed it perfectly.It was a simple tactic: get up in their face and don’t give them an inch of space.And if they make any mistake you absolutely let them know about it.First HalfThe opening defensive set from Coonamble gave them an opportunity to put this plan to the test.No space was allowed, and every tag came with some GST, roughing up the Flamin Galahs.They forced the Galahs into an absolute shambles of a first set, which had started on their twenty metre line, and finished there.The plan was going to work.But despite their early struggles in attack, the Galah defence stood tall, facing set after set of pressure.And after ten minutes of play all down their end, they finally created the space for a clearance kick.They had weathered the storm of an unbelievably fired-up Coonamble side.But perhaps they relaxed just a little bit too much, and they failed to put the pressure on the kick return.After tracking back and taking a great catch on the run, Imogen Pawley found herself with ball in hand and far too much room to move.She ran all the way left to right, creating the overlap down the wing and after using up centre Jacinta Murray as an option she broke the line.Imogen passed the ball off to "the very tall Rams player" Amy Ibbott, who streamed down the right sideline for the opening score in the eleventh minute.A narrowly missed kick from Rachael Sefton's unfavoured side kept the score at 5-0.The perfect start for the Rams.Amy Ibbott scored the opening try on Saturday, with Gulargambone fullback Paige Wilson just narrowly missing the tag [PHOTO: Coonamble Times]Gulargambone did go undefeated for a reason, though.An early tackle-breaking run from Kayla Beaton after the restart showed signs of what was to come, and after another few minutes of footy up the middle, she tore off for a monster sixty metre runaway try under the sticks.The kick was converted by Paige Wilson, taking the lead 7-5.Game on.The Flamin' Galahs kept the pressure on and worked themselves into the game despite facing immense pressure from the Rams' defence.They were rewarded for keeping their heads down when Coonamble teetered too far on the side of tackle over tag, and conceded a penalty with minutes left in the half.Kayla Beaton charged off again, catching most offside, and if not for a tag up the middle, she would have crossed over for a double.But it did enough to shake up the defence, and Kelsey Huchinson broke the line on the next play, going all but five metres to the try line before being tagged by Gemma Fitzgerald.Great hustle from Gemma, but the defence was left in shambles, and Paige Wilson picked up the quick ball and crossed over left of the posts with a minute to go before the break.The kick looked good off the boot, but crossed the face, the score remaining 12-5.A half that had it all was coming to a close, but it wasn’t over just yet.On the final play of the half, Imogen Pawley would score the try of the day.She drifted around the pursuing dummy half and broke the line down the left.An amazing charge down the wing with just one to beat, the ever-reliable Paige Wilson.But Imogen was just that good on Saturday, putting the right foot step on and dancing around the star fullback to score.The kick narrowly missed the right upright, and Gular led at the break 12-10.Second HalfThis was it.Thirty minutes separated one of these two teams from their crowning glory.For such an even matchup so far, it would come down to who wanted it more.After such a huge defensive effort in the first half, the Rams turned it up a notch as the game got back underway.Gemma Fitzgerald was pinned down by Flamin Galahs for most of the game. [IMAGE: Helen Rackham]A great territory kick from Gular parked the ball deep in the Coonamble half, and two times they shifted wide right, and two times Kathryn Alchin snuffed out the attack.Gulargambone forced the drop out, and for a brief moment, they really looked like scoring.But the pressure was too much, and yet another pass went wayward.And who else picked it up but Imogen Pawley.She was chased down twenty out from the try line, but momentum was shifted.Just minutes earlier, Tracey Baker-Holmes had come on as the spark plug, and with the situation set up perfectly to orchestrate an attacking set of six she went to work.The ball was pushed far right, dragging Gulargambone's defence with it.A quick settling tag pulled in a few more defenders down the right side all while Tracy was barking orders to shift left quickly.Gulargambone were busted, caught jogging and out of position.And Coonamble pounced.They shifted the ball left, and Gemma Fitzgerald scored the easiest try she's scored all year to retake the lead with twenty minutes to go.Coonamble almost doubled down just minutes later after centre Ana Newstead charged down the right side only to be tagged by Paige Wilson.Some strong territorial kicking from Rachael Sefton kept the game in the Rams control, and it looked as though they would hold on with ten minutes to go.If not for a cruel twist of fate.A routine kick return from Gemma Fitzgerald went awry after she knocked the ball on, and the Gulargambone crowd went berserk.And the response from the Flamin' Galah players was just as emphatic.It felt like destiny for Gulargambone.Years of trying, years of falling at the final hurdle.They now had Coonamble pinned on their line late in the game.This was it, this was their chance.And the crowd was going mental.Gulargambone had the opportunity and gave it to their golden goose - Paige Wilson.The quick shift out left to Paige had been a sure thing all year.The Flamin Galahs [IMAGE: Gulargambone Rugby Club]But she never straightened and didn’t want to take the line on.She kept drifting, and Ana Newstead charged up and made a great tag.Gular regrouped and reset for the next attack.But the ball was lost.Tempers flared, and a repeat of last year's grand final biff looked sure to repeat.But Coonamble were never giving in to that; they had a game to win.They then coolly worked their way through their sets, taking time off the clock sure, but not doing enough to put the game to bed.And with two minutes left it looked good for Gulargambone.A tired Rams defence had given up two offside penalties, and in the blink of an eye, Gulargambone were deep in Rams territory as the clock ran down.With one minute thirty to go, Gulargambone stacked the ball left and looked set to score, but playmaker Caitlynn King bit off more than she could chew, throwing an optimistic cut-out ball all the way over the left edge before it dribbled over the sideline for a Coonamble lineout.And with all the pressure, the ball deep in their territory, and a minute on the clock, it was the Rams best lineout all year.They slowed the game right down after that, but the clock was still on Gulargambone's side, and with 22 seconds left, they had one final chance.And they'd caught them out too, Gular had the numbers out right, and despite dropping them all day, they made that final pass to cross over and score – breaking hearts.But as the tricolours celebrated, all eyes instead were glued to Rams winger Kathryn Alchin, whose hand was high in the air after making the tag just milliseconds before the ball was put down.They wanted it more.The ball was taken back, and with one final play, it was in Paige Wilson's hands.A repeat of last year's preliminary final, she had the chance to sink Coonamble one more time, this time for all the bikkies.But she passed it off, and it didn’t hit the target.The ball fell to the ground, and both Paige and Ana Newstead dived for it.And Ana came up trumps.They. Just. Wanted. It. More.Coonamble 15, Gulargambone 12. What a win for the girls in green and white.The 2025 Ahrens Cup Premier Coonamble Rams: (Back Row): Jayde McDuff, Tracey Baker-Holmes, Loretta Tandy, Amy Ibbott, Gemma Fitzgerald, Kathryn Alchin, Ana Newstead, Ashleigh Stielow, Tobianna Glasson, Angie O'Connor, Maddie Mackay, Lily McClelland, Xanthe Van Lubeck, (Front Row): Imogen Pawley, Ella Cleary, Lydia Paine, Rachael Sefton, Aamber Rowe, Jacinta Murray, Hannah Williams (Not Pictured): Coaches Josh Wrench and Aaron West [PHOTO: Coonamble Rams Rugby Football Club]A special game where every player on the pitch had their moment, pushing to make that tag or to get up in Gular's face, it was a true team effort.And off the back of her brilliant game, including one try, one try assist, seven line breaks, and two penalties for roughness, the best on ground was awarded to Rams forward Imogen Pawley.Taking a step back, the win is absolutely deserved.It’s the story of consistently building and getting better under coaches Josh Wrench and Aaron West.Once a side always good for a spot in finals and never an easy beat on their day, they could beat the rest, but never the best.But at the start of the tri-tag competition, they really hit their stride.They earned their spot at the table after taking down premiers Walgett in the 2024 minor semi-finals.Getting better every game, they created a brand of football built on a bruising defence and smart attack.And in 2025, they stand alone.Premiers - deserved ones at that.

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 GradeThe 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 TagThe 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 GradeNick 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 FlyersFirst Grade: Coolah Kangaroos V Coonabarabran Unicorns.

Composure.Walgett showed their class on Saturday 23 August, taking down Nyngan 35-20 to win their second premiership in as many years.The most dominant team post covid, Walgett, has now appeared in every grand final since 2020 winning all but one of them.A team with the best backline in the competition flexed their muscles against a very formidable Nyngan side who had beat Warren in a thriller just a week earlier.As for the game itself, it was a nervy start - for Nyngan at least.The Bulls gave away a cheap penalty deep in their territory early giving Grant Green the easy penalty goal in front to give Walgett the early 3-0 lead.It wouldn’t take long for Walgett to extend their lead after scrum-half Josh Hay-McKenzie spotted an open blind side and put through hooker Paddy Burns.Burns tore away, darting inside the winger to cross over for the opening major score.Grant Green nailed the conversion, pushing the lead out to 10-0 after ten minutes of play.Nyngan certainly had a go at working themselves into the game, but the onslaught of Walgett was too much.Josh Hay-McKenzie continued his great start to the game after crossing over in the thirteenth minute.Grant Green continued his hot start with the boot, pushing the score out to 17-0.What a start by the Rams, Nyngan were absolutely shellshocked.But the Bulls got a foot in the door, grabbing their first points 20 in after Steven Scott slotted a penalty goal.Only for it to be neutralised by a Ram penalty goal moments later, which Grant Green nailed.A bit more tit for tat for the Bulls, who kicked a second penalty goal in the 26th minute.The game settled down after that, with both sides having their chances.Just before halftime, it grew interesting after Nyngan's Brett Taylor got sent for a yellow card infringement deep in Bulls territory.Walgett quickly took advantage when captain Charlie Friend ducked into the Bulls' depleted defence and scored, pushing their lead further to 23-6.The second half got underway, and Nyngan came out with a bang, scoring in the opening minutes through Aaron Duncan.The kick was converted, bringing the margin back to 23-13.But Walgett kept the foot on the throat.Paddy Burns scored a great opening try, en route to a man of the match performance [PHOTO: Walgett Rams Rugby Union]Charlie Friend was tackled on the line, but not one Bull wrapped him up or went for the ball, and he popped it up to his outside centre, Ed Murphy, who scored.The kick was converted, and Walgett held a commanding 28-13 lead.A massive swing in Nyngan's favour came after Dillon Walford gave up a penalty try, and with it a yellow card.Nyngan now had 15 on 14, with just a 10-point margin to chase.Game on.But Walgett stayed composed.They faced a period of massive pressure on their line, almost conceding when Brett Taylor came within millimetres of the line.Walgett faced the pressure yet again, but in an inspired moment, Hamish Moore dove over the ball and won the pilfer.And with all the momentum Nyngan's way, Josh Hay-McKenzie made the play of the day.A deft chip and chase with the Nyngan fullback caught in a ruck, saw Josh outrun three Bulls and score what would be the winning try of the game.It sank Nyngan, and you could see the players' heads drop after that one.Walgett ran the game out, and they'd done it.Back-to-back champions, and four of the last five.

All eyes are on the weather for this Sunday's Three Rivers Machinery Narromine Gold Cup. "We have had good rain so it's a heavy 7 so far for Cup day, but the track is holding up," says Narromine Turf Club secretary Tristan Penson. Nine races are on the card, with the $40,000 Cup feature race attracting a strong field. Scone trainer Brett Cavanough is bringing his in-form gelding Indifference and Ms Penson believes he will be one of the favourites with punters. ''He has in-form Braith Nock, reigning country apprentice of the year, aboard so is a strong chance,'' she said. Amongst the other Cup contenders, Star Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm has 5-year-old Slush Fund,that has won 2 of last 3 starts and is placed at the track.Trainer Clint Lundholm will star on Saturday and Sunday at Narromine [IMAGE: Narromine Turf Club]And there's little doubt Mudgee trainer David Smith also has a major claim with Lockdown Gamble. ''He likes 1600m and was not far away in the Dubbo Cup prelude,'' said Ms Penson. Another Scone trainer, Cameron Crocket, has entered six-year-old gelding Rajnish, which loves the distance winning 4 from 10. As with all country races, it's not all about what's happening on the track from mid-day. ''A garden party, fantastic fashions on the field, fun music entertainment and Wiradjuri Rabs - known on social media for his crazy race calls - will add to the flavour,'' said Ms Penson. She suggests race fans keep an eye for the computer-based Fashion Glam Bot. ''The owners of the technology are trying it out on Cup Day. It takes videos and pictures of fans without them knowing, so it will add to the fun of the day,'' she said. Saturday night's Calcutta at the Narromine United Services Club is expected to be popular, with star trainer Clint Lundholm and jockey Zoe Hunt as guest speakers.

The opening game of the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League minor semifinal played over the weekend set the tone for what was about to unfold in the remaining five games played out in front of large and appreciative audiences. That minor semifinal reserve grade game played at Coonabarabran on Saturday between the Binnaway Bombshells and the Coonamble Bears propelled into extra time after the Bears scored a try with just nine seconds remaining on the clock in regulation time to lock the scores up. In what was a helter-skelter finish, the Bombies prevailed, but only just, the final score being 28 to 26! The league tag followed with the Baradine Magpies shooting out to a 10-nil lead over the Narromine Jets before the red and whites clawed their way back into the game to lead 14 to 10 at half time then adding another converted try in a tense second half to come away with a 20 to 10 victory to stay alive in the 2025 season. Playing on their home turf the Coonabarabran Unicorns first grade side were sitting pretty at half time with an 18 to 6 lead over the Gulgong Bull Terriers and then things looked decidedly rosier for them when they scored a converted try under the posts within the first five seconds of the second half after Gulgong coughed up the ball from the kick. That 24 to 6 lead was stretched out to 30 to 6 some seven minutes later and at that point the home side looked to be coasting to an easy victory. That most certainly was not to be the case with the Terriers incredibly going up a gear and racing in for three converted tries in eight minutes with the scoreboard reading 30 to 24. Both sides went at it and it wasn’t until the Unicorn’s captain coach Nick Willoughby very skilfully threaded a grubber through the Gulgong defence from close range, with the ensuing race for the ball being won by his centre Brad Fuller, that the blue and golds looked as if they might win what had become a gripping encounter. Whilst the Bull Terriers gave it their all in the remaining minutes and scored the last points in the match, the clock was against them and they went down 36 to 30. The major semis followed the next day at Coolah with the Baradine Magpies reserve grade side booking themselves a grand berth with a 20 to 12 win over the minor premiers, the Narromine Jets. The previously undefeated Coolah Flyers league tag premiership hopes took a severe battering when the Dunedoo Swannettes fired up in the second half after the scores were locked at 10 all at halftime to come away with a rather sizeable 34 to 14 win, which featured some scintillating tries. Whilst the thought of both the minor premiers losing their games in reserve grade and league tag might not have been on the minds of the Coolah Kangaroos first grade side when they took the field against the Narromine Jets. It certainly looked that way when they were staring at a 12-nil scoreline against them after the Jets scored three unconverted tries in an amazing opening nine minutes. The game was turned on its head midway through the first half though when the Jets lost two players, one to the bin, and another sent off! The absence of these players did the Coolah cause no harm and by half-time they were well back in the game after scoring two unconverted tries. It didn’t take long for the ‘Roos to get ahead on the scoreboard after the resumption of play, and with 27 minutes remaining, they held an 18 to 12 lead. The Jets got back to within two points mid-way through the second half but that was to be the last time that they were to call the scoreboard attendant into action. The Kanga’s however, were able to finish with two converted tries to make it a 30 to 16 scoreline to secure a home grand final! The Jets will now host the preliminary finals at Narromine this Saturday with all three grades taking part. Their reserve grade will kick off the day playing the Binnaway Bombshells, whilst their league tag side will be up against the Coolah Flyers. In first grade, it will be a qualifying final rematch between the Jets and the Coonabarabran Unicorns! Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Semi-final scores: Minor Semi-Finals:The Coonabarabran Unicorns held off a resurgent Bull Terriers outfit on Saturday to secure a preliminary final spot next week [PHOTO: Sal Deshon via Coonabarabran Unicorns Rugby League] Reserve Grade: Binnaway Bombshells 28 (Nathan Ryan 2, Ahley Widders, Jade Hooper, Dane Anastasis tries, Travis Tighe 4 goals) defeated Coonamble Bears 26 (Malakai Haley 2, Brendan Draper, Kevin Thurston-Welsh, Hamish Astill tries, Mark Jones 3 goals) in extra time. League Tag: Narromine Jets 20 (Shian Chatfield 2, Abbie Mitchell, Hannah Towns tries, Chatfield 2 goals) defeated Baradine Magpies 10 (Suzie Carey 2 tries, Maria Nagy goal). First Grade: Coonabarabran Unicorns 36 (Sonny Bill Walker 2, Jarvis Watton, Brad Fuller, Sam Pickette, Jordan Baker, Koopa Thompson tries, Nick Willoughby 4 goals) defeated Gulgong Bull Terriers 30 (Mason Hammond 2, Brad James, Toby O’Leary, Tom Reddish tries, James 5 goals). Major Semi-Finals:The Dunedoo Swannettes pulled off the upset of the year, taking down the undefeated Coolah Flyers 34 to 14. [PHOTO: Peter Sherwood]Reserve Grade: Baradine Magpies 20 (Luke Hamilton, Harry Allen, Travis Houghton, Liam Blackall tries, Jai Caine 2 goals) defeated Narromine Jets 12 (Cooper Anning, Rory Miller-Coen tries, Liam Wherritt 2 goals). League Tag: Dunedoo Swannettes 34 (Meg Christensen 2, Chelsea Gallagher 2, Shelly Cox, Hayley Berg tries, Gallagher 5 goals) defeated Coolah Flyers 14 (Lisa Jones, Molly Burgess tries, Tori Mogg goal). First Grade: Coolah Kangaroos 30 (Jayden Brown 2, Jacob Medd, Braydon Burgess, Chanse Burgess, Austin Burgess tries, Dan Lane 3 goals) defeated Narromine Jets 16 (Darby Gordon 2, Apeli Draunidalo 2 tries). Next Saturday at Cale Oval, Narromine, preliminary finals with an 11.30 am kick off for reserve grade and other grades to follow straight on. Reserve Grade: Narromine Jets V Binnaway Bombshells.League Tag: Coolah Flyers V Narromine Jets.First Grade: Narromine Jets V Coonabarabran Unicorns. The Christie and Hood Castlereagh League grand finals will be held at Bowen Oval, Coolah, on Saturday, 30th August, with the first game kicking off at 11.00 am.  

Well known as a hotelier and in the insurance business, Wayne Brown has now become a successful racehorse trainer at Tamworth and on Saturday at Gilgandra he won the $20,000 ollie Hotel-Collie Cup with So Country.Racing in front of a big crowd which exceeded all expectations, the 8 year old gelding So Country led by a narrow margin from Medinah in the 1280 metres Cup.Breaking clear in the straight, So Country (Shannen Llewellyn, $4.20) won by over 3 lengths from All Words (Andrew Banks, $61) which came from last while Dream Game (Jordan Quince, $7.50) was a long neck away, third.Leading apprentice Shannen Llewellyn had kicked off the day with a win on the Connie Greig trained Miss Adamas in the 1200 metres Chandlers Chaff-Brophy Memorial Maiden Handicap.Placed 14 times from 29 previous starts, Miss Adamas ($5.50) finally broke throng when setting the pace and lasting to beat Spicy Margherita (Andrew Banks, $31) and Firefinch (Izzy Neale, $11) in a 3 way photo finish.Trained at Coonamble by Michael Denison, Emphatic Bel in a thrilling finish won the 800 metres Three Rivers Machinery Benchmark 50 Handicp.Given a good run behind the leader Redline by Kody Nestor, Emphatic Bel ($4.20) held out the fast finishing Glowing Rapids (Zoe Hunt, $3.60) by a half head with a long neck to Redline (Shannen Llewellyn, $18).Kody Nestor later led most of the way on the Clint Lundholm trained South Bullaway ($7.20) to win the 1100 metres Western Farm Machinery-Coxsedge Memorial from Pee Dee (Izzy Neale, $4) and Mean Girls (Wendy Peel, $3.40 favourite).Clint Lundholm brought up a winning double when Always Fiorente ($3.80 favourite) ridden by in form apprentice Zoe Hunt, travelled in third position before overhauling the leaders Pampuni (Jordan Quince, $4) and Magic Alwyns (Wendy Peel, $13) in the 1600 metres Hair & Beauty For You Benchmark 50 Handicap.Hawkesbury trainer Fabio Martino won the 1100 metres WDI Clinic Benchmark 50 Handicap with Grand Bellezza (Ryan Bradley, $2.60 favourite) while the Brett Robb, Dubbotrained Capital Beauty (Izzy Neale, $1.80 to $1.75 favourite) won the 1000 metres Gilgandra Toyota- Keith Kilby Memorial Maiden Plate.

After a blockbuster weekend in Nyngan last Saturday, the 2025 Western Plains Rugby grand final matchups are set for next weekend.In the Ahren's Cup, the Coonamble Rams dispatched of the Walgett Ewes 28-7 to secure a rematch with the Gulargambone Flamin' Galahs.And in the Elders First Grade, Nyngan scraped home against the Warren Pumas to book their tickets to a grand final rematch against the Walgett Rams.Ahren's Cup Preliminary Final: Coonamble 28 def Walgett 7Destiny was seemingly calling for the Rams after their close major semi loss to Gulargambone last week.And boy did they answer the call, taking care of business against a Walgett side that they struggled to put away just weeks earlier.A dominant 28-7 win, highlighted by heads-up football, free-flowing attack, and a hard-nosed defence.Walgett weren't allowed to work their way into the match, with their lone try coming from a lapse in the Rams' defensive line.Pleased as punch after their win in Nyngan, Coonamble Rams girls. IMAGE: Coonamble Rams Rugby UnionAs for the Rams, it was the culmination of their work throughout 2025.They’ve been building for years, but these past weeks feel as though they’ve hit their stride, playing the game as it unfolds in front of them and controlling the pace through high percentage football.This now sets up a massive grand final matchup between the best two teams all year.Coonamble have everything to play for and nothing to lose, and Gulargambone will be fired up to defend their undefeated record and avenge their three straight grand final losses.Elder's First Grade Preliminary Final: Nyngan 20 def Warren 18.A rematch of last year's prelim final went eerily similarly, with late penalty kicks deciding the fate of the game.Sadly for Warren, they would be on the short end of the stick for the second year running.Warren got out to a hot start, leading 6-0 off the boot of Hagan Size to set the tone.However, Nyngan fired off two tries of their own to take the lead back to 10-6.A try late in the half to Warren saw them take the lead 13-10 going into halftime, with the game having all the makings of a nail-biting finish.Nyngan fired back early in the half to retake the lead after a penalty try was awarded to take the score out to 17-13.As the game wore on, the ball parked itself firmly in Nyngan's half, and the Pumas had all the ball, putting pressure on the Bulls' defensive line.A late try to the Pumas saw them take the lead with just 9 minutes to go, narrowly leading 18-17 after the conversion went wide.Warren was awarded another penalty kick soon after, but the kick went wide right to keep the game at a one-point margin.The fate was not the same for Nyngan, and with two minutes to go, a penalty was awarded 40 metres out of the Warren tryline on the left touchline after a high tackle. The kick could only be described as perfect.In front of the Warren bench, game on the line, the ice-cold Mat Sheather nailed it with just a minute to go.The game was seemingly all but over; Nyngan just needed one more defensive stand.But in a twist of fate, Warren was given one last chance.A penalty kick of the same distance and location as that awarded to Nyngan just moments earlier was awarded to Warren.But with time expired, this one was for the game.Warren's Hagan Size had a hot start with the boot, nailing two massive penalties from deep, and had the opportunity to sink Nyngan with the kick just in front of their bench and fans.He fired off the kick as the buzzer sounded, and it looked the goods, starting out on the right post.It was almost perfect, but the ball kept veering left, and by the time it reached the uprights, it sailed past the left post, missing by the smallest of margins.Elation for Nyngan, devastation for Warren.The Bogan Bulls now book a date with defending premiers Walgett, in a rematch of last years grand final that went into extra time.

The Narromine Gorillas have continued their undefeated run in 2025, beating the Mudgee Wombats in their major semi-final.The 28-22 win now means the Gorillas have hosting rights for this year's Central West Rugby 2025 New Holland Cup Grand Final.A close game saw the Gorillas and Wombats go blow for blow, but it would be the boot of Narromine fly-half Jacob Hardie that made the difference.Mudgee managed to cross over for four tries, but converting just one killed them in the end.Narromine's Hardie converted two of their three tries, and nailed a penalty kick from right in front with twelve minutes to go to push the lead out to 25-22, and a further score on the buzzer to win the game 28-22.The Wombats will now play the Parkes Boars in Mudgee after they dispatched of the Dubbo Rhinos 62-28 in their minor semi.In second grade, Mudgee got the job done against Dubbo in the major semi 50-8, booking their spot in the grand final.In the minor semi-final, Narromine made light work of the Boars in Parkes, keeping them scoreless to win 49-0.They now move on to play the Dubbo Rhinos in the preliminary final.In the Women's 10s Norths Cup, the Mudgee Wombats defeated Molong in the major semi-final 34-26.In the minor semi, Parkes narrowly beat the CSU Mitchell Mustards 33-31 to keep their season alive. Preliminary Finals: Saturday 23 August at Spicer Park in Parkes Women's: Molong Magpies vs Parkes Boars2nd Grade: Dubbo Rhinos vs Narromine Gorillas1st Grade: Mudgee Wombats vs Parkes Boars

The Nyngan Tigerettes are out of the Peter McDonald League finals downed 24 - 10 by a fast running Mudgee who dominated the League Tag Elimination Final.Dragons scored first and then backed it up with a tear away try but in the second half Grace Farmillo and Hollie Smith put the Tigerettes back in the match before late tries to Mudgee ended any hope.In the Womens Tackle Qualifying Final Nyngan's Allahan Ryan scored 4 tries for Mudgee who rattled Orange CYMS. Ryan used her speed and exciting step to storm through the Orange defence in blistering show.Mudgee won 20-12 and are favourites to win the championship.Narromine-based Chairman of the elite Premiership board Bob Walsh said he was impressed with the first edition of the Women's Winter Tackle season. "Next year this competition will be much bigger and NSW Rugby League is encouraging the women's competition and the NRLW is getting record ratings and crowds, very exciting.'' Nyngan were gallant in the League Tag in Orange. IMAGE: F HothamThe Wiradjuri Women's side had a big win with Rebecca Trethowan scampering over for 4 tries downing the Castlereagh Cougars 28-8.Kayla Hasson and Kadesha Ayoub scoring for Castlereagh in the Elimination Tackle Final.In Reserve Grade men's Nyngan Tigers winning a thrilling 17 –16 victory over Dubbo Macquarie in the Qualifying Final in Dubbo .Tigers lock Troy Evans scored first to give his side an early lead.Second rower Cale Dunn grabbed a double and when Dubbo Macquarie stormed back into the match it was 16 all but on almost full time five-eight Matthew Shearer unloaded a field goal for a Nyngan win.The Tigers are big shots of being in the grand final.

Gilgandra’s race circuit is a soft 5 and drying weather is sure to make for a big day August 16.Club Secretary Guy McNalay-Elwin says the track is in top order and big crowd is expected.‘’Its always well attended and our first meeting since February and local horses like the tight turning track,‘’ he said.Local trainer Keiran Hazelton knows his mare Mean Girls loves her home track and believes her speed can overcome the widest barrier. Its Collie Hotel Cup Day and winning the big trophy would be popular because she is in great form.At acceptance time there is a full field of 15 with Coonamble’s Dream Game top weight for the feature.The horse enjoys the trip and has claiming apprentice Jordan Quince riding.He was close in the Coonamble Cannonball and the distance suits.The Clint Lundholm camp has mare Starlink engaged and she is a feature race winner and apprentice Zoe Hunt has been aboard her 4 times and the 7-year-old is 3 for 8 over this trip.Adelsun, another mare, comes off a last start win at Coonabrabran so punters will look to watch her progress.The Club will lay on the entertainment for Collie connections and other racing enthusiasts.‘’Entertainment will come from well known band ‘Under The Radar’ and Fashions on the Field includes best dressed lady, man, couple and boy and girl," Mr McNalay-Elwin says. It was well supported in 2024 so all in is readiness. "People love dressing up and looks a fantastic day,’’ he said.It’s a full TAB meeting with first race at 12 40

While it’s a funny little idiom, its hard not to look at Coonamble at the moment and ask that question.Coonamble' s history has long been intertwined with rugby league, the Bears are a proud club, but for whatever reason the town has never really ever had any long term representation on the professional stage.It would be rude to ignore Ron Boden who played 38 games for Parramatta in the 1960s, or Knights halfback Steven Fulmer who played for Newcastle in the NRL from 1988-1991, and who could forget the mighty Lancelot Hansen who laced them up eleven times for the North Sydney Bears in 1909.But recently we've seen a serious uptick in NRL players who have called Coonamble home during their formative years.Thomas Fletcher recently made his debut for South Sydney, making him the latest Coonamble junior to play NRL joining Jesse Ramien (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks) and Braidon Burns (North Queensland Cowboys).And while Fletcher's NRL career is just beginning, both Ramien and Burns have both carved out respectable NRL careers after their debuts in 2017 and are easily the most successful rugby league products from Coonamble.Coonamble Bears stalwart Joe Bellgardt couldn’t be prouder seeing three former juniors in the top grade."You get a bit of a buzz out of it when you hear Coonamble Bears mentioned when theyre playing," said Joe."And they were all outstanding junior league players, it just goes to show that if youre determined enough and want to put in the hard yards you can make the grade.""Even if youre from the country, you don’t need to play in these big comps in the city to get noticed, if youre good enough and you put in the hard yards it always seems to work out."Tom Fletcher is living his NRL dream. IMAGES SUPPLIED.Any rhyme or reason?It's hard to say why this has happened, but over the years you do hear of the occasional crop of players from small bush towns that have made it big on the professional stage.Quite a few years ago it was Tingha in the New England region, who despite their population of just 714 people produced elite talents in Nathan Blacklock, Preston Campbell and Owen Craigie in a short time period.Most recently, and perhaps most notably is Temora who made news in 2024 after three local juniors Angus Crichton, Liam Martin and Zac Lomax all suited up to play representative football for New South Wales together.And in 2025, you can now add Coonamble to that list.

After last week's rainy affair down in Warren, it was blue skies and perfect conditions up in Walgett for the Western Plains Rugby Union Major Semifinals on 9 August. And with matchups as good as Saturday's, they deserved a decent spell of weather. First up was the women's tri-tag between Gulargambone Flamin Galahs and the Coonamble Rams, in one of the most intense and physical games of tri-tag this year. It was Gulargambone who would walk away as victors, beating the Rams 26-21. The afternoon game was an absolute must-watch. A rivalry as deep as it goes; every match between Walgett and Nyngan always proves for good viewing. But in this rematch of last year's Grand Final it would be Walgett who got the job done, with a rather convincing 38-20 win. Ahren's Cup: Gulargambone 26 def Coonamble 21Paige Wilson (middle) had a day out in Walgett on Saturday, scoring three and setting up another to lead her Gulargambone Flamin Galahs to victory against Coonamble [PICTURE: Coonamble Rams Rugby Football Club] A game that could only be described as incredible. Lead changes, momentum swings, individual brilliance and a down-to-the-wire finish - finals footy doesn’t get much better than that. Gulargambone shot out to the early lead through their fullback Paige Wilson, but the Rams would take the 7-5 lead shortly after through Gemma Fitzgerald. Gular fired off two more quick tries to end the half, once more through Paige Wilson and then again through Sharna Steedman. But there was a noticeable confidence about the Rams in the halftime huddle, their physicality was rattling the undefeated Gulargambone, and they had the belief they could pull off the win. They were not wrong either, with two quick tries going the way of the Rams first through Amy Ibbott and then again when the Rams were awarded a penalty try after Kathryn Alchin was impeded from putting the ball down after a Gulargambone professional foul. The Rams then led 21-19, and they looked for all money to finally break their Gular hoodoo.But cometh the moment, cometh the champion, it was yet again Paige Wilson who broke Rams hearts, crossing over under the posts with minutes remaining to give Gular the lead. The game's final moments were played out in the middle, and the full-time whistle blew. Gulargambone continue their undefeated run and punch their ticket for this year's Ahren's Cup grand final. As for the Rams, they now face the old enemy Walgett for a chance to redeem themselves against Gular in the grand final. Elder's First Grade: Walgett Rams 38 def Nyngan Bogan Bulls 20A dominant Walgett put the Bogan Bulls to the sword on Saturday, cruising to a 38-20 win [PHOTO: Walgett Rams Rugby Union] A game of monster proportions, the best two teams all year meeting once again for a shot at a grand final berth. But despite the promise, the game fell a little flat. Nyngan shot out of the gates quickly, kicking the opening points and scoring the first try in the fifteenth minute. Walgett looked stunned by the intensity of the Bogan Bulls. But it wasn’t to last. The Rams worked themselves into the game, winning a key turnover deep in their half and working the ball to the Bulls' try line to get themselves on the board in the 25th minute. From then on, the points came thick and fast. Tries in the 35th, 45th and 49th minutes pushed the lead out to 30-13 with thirty minutes to go. A further try with ten minutes to go sealed the game, and Walgett led 35-10. Nyngan were awarded a penalty try in the 78th minute, but by then it was too little too late for the Bulls. Walgett will again host this year's grand final, winning 38-20. As for the Bogan Bulls, they now face Warren at home next week for a chance to meet Walgett in the grand final.

After their undefeated regular season, the Narromine Gorillas sit in pole position to take out this year's Central West Rugby Union New Holland Cup.12 times they’ve taken the field this year, and 12 times they’ve walked away as winners.But it's finals time, and there are no guarantees.Naturally, they receive certain advantages for finishing the regular season so strongly.A home-ground major semi-final is their reward, so even if they do lose this coming weekend, they're granted a second chance to make it to the grand final.Their first task on the road to glory will be the Mudgee Wombats this Saturday, 16 August.The second-placed Mudgee side has beaten everyone not named Narromine this season and will look to get over their hoodoo against the Gorillas in week one.However, the Gorillas have averaged 38 points against the Wombats this season, beating them by an average of 25 points in their three meetings this year.In finals, you never know what's going to happen, but it’s looking pretty good for the Gorillas if the past is anything to go off of.The loser of that game will take on the winner of the minor semi between the Parkes Boars and Dubbo Rhinos on Sunday, 17 August.The wildcard of this year's finals series, the Dubbo Rhinos, have the potential to push every team to their limit [PICTURE: Dubbo Rhinos Rugby Club]A bit less straightforward than the first matchup, this game depends entirely on what Dubbo Rhinos squad rocks up on Sunday.After a great stretch of form that saw them beat both Mudgee and Parkes, and push Narromine to a narrow 19-22 loss, they fell to the winless CSU Mitchell Mustards side that hadn't won a game all year.Parkes had beaten Dubbo in their only other two matchups this season, and with home advantage, perhaps they get the job done.Certainly one not to be missed!In reserve grade, first placed Mudgee will take on the Dubbo Rhinos in the major semi and third-placed Narromine will take on the Parkes Boars in the minor semis.

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Unicorns and Bull Terriers head to sudden death! The first weekend of the 2025 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League finals saw some great on field action taking place at Narromine on Saturday and then again at Gulgong on Sunday. Narromine’s Cale Oval was the venue for Saturday’s qualifying semifinals with the opening reserve grade game between the Baradine Magpies and the Binnaway Bombshells setting the tone for the weekend when they put on an entertaining game with the Maggies just getting up 12 to 10 after the Bombshells got out to an early lead. Following that the Dunedoo Swannettes and the Narromine Jets engaged in a closely fought game of league tag for the majority of the encounter. The Swannettes powered away in the latter stages to record an impressive 24 to 8 victory after it was 12 points to 8 in their at halftime. As much as the Narromine Jets ran out deserved first-grade winners over the Coonabarabran Unicorns they benefited from several errors made by the blue and gold. For the opening quarter of the game the Unicorns barely made it over halfway due to their lack of possession and after 17 minutes the home side had racked up 18 unanswered points, six of those coming after an interception off a very adventurous pass by Coonabarabran in one of their rare attacking forays into Narromine territory. The Unicorns did manage a converted try not long after to make it 18 to 6 and looked to be in again not long after but the final pass of an otherwise impressive backline raid went astray and the chance to reduce the margin was lost. The visitors’ woes continued when they lost a player to the sin bin for holding down in a tackle with four minutes remaining in the first half. The Jets immediately took advantage of playing against a team one man down, and at halftime they lead by 24 to 6. To their credit, the Unicorns came out and “won” the second half 16 to 10, but the scoreboard damage done in the first half was too much to overcome. They now walk the sudden death tightrope next Saturday when they host the Gulgong Bull Terriers in the minor semifinal. The Bull Terriers had to fight hard against the Coonamble Bears in the elimination final on Sunday. In a game that ebbed and flowed, going from one end to the other, the lead changed twice in the first half before it was locked up at 16 all at halftime. The lead changed twice in the second stanza before Gulgong got their nose in front with just 12 minutes remaining and went on to score two converted tries to win the game 32 to 22. The earlier games at Gulgong saw the Coonamble get over the top of Coonabarabran in the reserve grade by the tune of 42 to 24, and Baradine beating Cobar in the League Tag with a 30 to 10 win. The four remaining teams in each grade will be whittled down to three next weekend, with the losers of the games being played at Coonabarabran on Saturday ending their 2025 campaigns. Sunday’s major semifinals at Coolah will feature the only two undefeated teams in the Castlereagh League competitions thus far this season, those being the Coolah Flyers in league tag and the Coolah Kangaroos in first grade. The big carrot for the winner of the first-grade clash between the ‘Roos and the Narromine Jets is the hosting rights for the 2025 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League grand finals. The first game at both the minor and major semi-final venues will kick off at 11.30 am with the other grades to follow straight on. Christie and Hood Castlereagh League semifinal scores. Qualifying semifinals played Saturday 9th August at Cale Oval, Narromine. Reserve Grade Baradine Magpies 12 (Jai Caine, Brandon Worrell tries; Caine 2 goals) defeated Binnaway Bombshells 10 (Michael Daley, Jade Hooper tries; Travis Tighe 1 goal). League Tag Dunedoo Swannettes 24 (Chelsea Gallagher, Shelley Cox, Alexis Gallagher, Jessie Newton tries; Shelley Cox 3 goals, Chelsea Gallagher 1 goal) defeated Narromine Jets 8 (Chloe McLean try; Shian Chatfield 2 goals) First Grade Narromine Jets 34 (Darby Gordon 3, Corey Cox 2, Epeli Dranunidalo tries; Corey Cox 5 goals) defeated Coonabarabran Unicorns 22 (Brad Fuller 2, Jarvis Watton, Jordan Baker tries; Nick Willoughby 3 goals). Elimination semifinals played at Billy Dunn Oval, Gulgong, Sunday 10th August. Reserve Grade Coonamble Bears 42 (Malakai Haley 2, Nathan Walker, Mat Boney, Kevin Thurston-Welsh, Brendan Draper, Vincent Hill, Lewis Ellis tries; Kevin Thurston-Welsh 3 goals, Brendan Draper 1 goal, Kobe Leonard 1 goal) defeated Coonabarabran Unicorns 24 (Jake Deshon 2, Sonny Bill Walker, Marshal Tighe tries; Sonny Bill Walker 4 goals). League Tag Baradine Magpies 30 (Maria Nagy 2, Jalika Leslie, Zali Fulton, Jorja Carey, Chelsea Woodham tries; Maria Nagy 3 goals) defeated Cobar Roosterettes 10 (Taylah Good, Kayla Hasson-Williams tries; Brianna Watson goal) First Grade Gulgong Bull Terriers 32 (Toby O’Leary 2, Jason Morrison, Jackson Pascoe, Blake Gorrie, Will Hawkins tries; Brad James 4 goals) defeated Coonamble Bears 22 (Elvy McEwen 2, Kane Wiggins, Andrew Peacocke tries; Brenton Glover 3 goals). Next Round: Saturday 16th August: Minor Semi Finals at Coonabarabran. Reserve Grade: Binnaway Bombshells v Coonamble BearsLeague Tag: Narromine Jets v Baradine MagpiesFirst Grade: Coonabarabran Unicorns V Gulgong Bull Terriers Sunday 17th August: Major semifinals at Coolah Reserve Grade: Narromine Jets V Baradine MagpiesLeague Tag: Coolah Flyers V Dunedoo SwannetteFirst Grade: Coolah Kangaroos V Narromine Jets

What a win!Coming up against the top of the table Hillston Swans was always going to be a tall task for the Lake Cargelligo Tigers.A tight game up until the fourth quarter, the Tigers ran away with the game to win 83 to 59.With this win, they book themselves a spot in this year's Northern Riverina Football League Grand Final.As for the game itself, it was as back-and-forth as they come.The tone was set in the first quarter, with both sides trading major scores.Hillston held a slim 1 point margin going into the break, leading 3.2.20 to 3.1.19.This trend continued throughout the game, at the half-time break the Swans led 6.5.41 to 6.4.40, and at three-quarter time they led 7.9.51 to 7.8.50.A monster fourth quarter for the Tigers made all the difference on Saturday [PICTURE: Sean Crammond Photography]But in the fourth, that changed completely.The Tigers shut down the Swans in their forward 50, limiting entries and conceding just the one major score and two minors.On the other side of the ball, the Tigers had a field day up the middle.The accuracy coming out of the contest was almost as good as their forward 50 entries.Five massive goals in the fourth quarter, with each pushing the lead further and further out of reach for the Swans.They weren't even that accurate either, adding another four minor scores in the quarter.It was just dominance in transition, winning the pill out back and firing it up through the corridor in a swing of momentum not yet seen in the match thus far.And when the siren rang, they'd done it.A spot in the grand final is secured, and a chance for their first premiership since 2012.As for the two-time defending premier Swans, they now go into a matchup with the Tullibigeal Grasshoppers for a spot against the Tigers on August 23.

All was in readiness for Cup Day and when only 2millimetres of rain fell race-club organisers were very confident racing would go ahead.With many locals and visitors already on site $28,000 was raised in a huge Calcutta on Friday night at the Louth Hotel for the six horse field. But on Saturday morning when Racing NSW stewards inspected the track they ''deemed the track unfit for racing". Race club secretary Tegan Barton said her committee was taken aback by their swift decision as the weather was clearing and the breeze picking up. ''They said there was dew on the track after a light frost. "We knew it would clear and pleaded with the stewards to delay the start of racing. "Owners and trainers had come miles to be here and race fans were travelling from far away.''Our committee had worked to get the meeting underway we are volunteers and this broke our hearts,'' she said.The crowd was ready to race and made the most of their visit to Louth. [IMAGE: facebook] The club has returned the Calcutta money and now faces a major financial loss. ''We don't know what that will be over the whole meeting but it's big," Ms Barton said. The organisers are now considering their next steps.The meeting was officially postponed but Tegan says it won't happen at Louth this year.''We are too small to go through this again but next year will be even bigger." Around 2000 people had made it Louth ahead of the race meeting and Tegan said the crowd still made the most of the day.The committee ran the usual Fashion and Novelty events, with the addition of foot races that put the barriers to good use.The Parkes Tractor Trekkers, who stopped over at Louth on their 1,000 kilometre journey from Bourke to Birdsville to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer, staged a Fergie Tractor Challenge.An auction was held in an effort to recoup some of the deficit faced by the club.The Louth Cup was included in the 2025 auction."Thank you to those who donated items, included the NSW Metropolitan Jockeys with Jason Collett's silks, signed by a wedge of G1 jockeys as well as a fine art print of "Justify" by Renate du Plessis," Tegan said."We even auctioned off the Louth Cup!"The TAB van and bookies remained on course throughout the day taking off-course bets and entertainment was provided by Duncan Ferguson and his guitar before the Ballz n All Band filled the dance floor later in the evening.

Thousands are converging on Louth for their annual race meeting, first run in 1888. Club secretary Tegan Barton says ''It's all good to go, the track is in top order after rain two weeks ago.''The tiny town offers more than a day at the races for those who venture out.''Our golf day had fantastic numbers and the fete today at the local school will be popular with heaps of stalls and people have arrived from all over Australia,'' she said. Race fans and campers are already in Louth and the weather is slightly overcast but holding.''I would let people know to bring some wood for their camping," said Tegan."It’s a bit cold here at night at the moment but they will have fun."The local hotel has a calcutta tonight (Friday) and Tegan said a big crowd is expected for that. ''People love the Calcutta night, it’s a top night to prepare for Cup day.''Horse numbers are a bit down because of Dubbo's meeting on Sunday but we have 7 races featuring the Cup." Owners and trainers will chase $100,000 in prizemoney, making the drive well worthwhile.Six horses will run in the Cup including top weight Tavanisia, a bay gelding trained by Michael Mulholland to be ridden by apprentice Caine Stuart.Tavanisia is chasing three in a row off Wellington and Carinda wins.Nyngan's picnic king Rodney Robb has two horses engaged in the Cup including Bourke and Hillston Cup winner Hammoon Thunder who has star jockey Kody Nestor riding.Racing action begins at 1pm Saturday 9 August.

Ahren's Cup: Walgett 12 def Nyngan 0 Far from the result that was expected, a wet track and some finals pressure almost undid the Rams on Saturday.The defending premiers Nyngan put up a good fight, but by all accounts, Walgett controlled the game from start to finish - they just couldn’t find the final pass to grab points!A complete deadlock only until the final moments, Walgett's Jade Dunbar would crash over for the game's opening points with just seven minutes to go.Any slight chance of a Nyngan fightback was quickly snuffed out, and on the final play of the game, Sam Sharpley grabbed Walgett's second try to win the game 12-0.Walgett now takes on the loser of Gulargambone and Coonamble in their major semi for a chance to play in the grand final.Due to the scheduling, they will also be watching the first-grade fixture quite closely to see whether their prelim in a fortnight will be at home in Walgett or over at Nyngan. Elders First Grade: Warren 29 def Brewarrina-Bourke 8 Warren were never going to make the same mistakes twice after last week's draw to Bre-Bourke at home.This time around, they controlled the game from the get-go.Early possession was rewarded when Hooker Oliver Ferrari crossed over in the tenth minute to open the scoring.Bre-Bourke fired back through Sam Willoughby who slotted a penalty goal to bring the scores back to 3-7.But from then on it was pretty smooth sailing for Warren.Two more Warren tries in the first half to Stuart McLean (26') and Dave Jenkins (33') tested Bre-Bourke's discipline, and sadly they fell into a habit of the occasional late shot.Warren's Hagan Size pushed a penalty goal over to open the second half, extending Warren's lead out to 22-3, and a final try to Jack Kelly (64') all but sealed a Puma win, leading 29-3 with fifteen minutes to go.A try on the bell for Barbarian Ben Orcher put the game back to 8-29 but it was too little too late for the Bre-Bourke side, who find themselves knocked out in week one for the third year running.Warren now takes on the loser of Nyngan and Walgett in their major semi for a spot in the grand final. 

Going into the final round of the 2025 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition the composition and finishing order of the top five was unknown with results from three different venues having a bearing on who was in and who was out and in what order the teams in contention finished. The Dunedoo Swans were in a three-way battle for position number five on the ladder and having the bye they had to hope that results would go their way. One of those results did go their way, with the Cobar Roosters dropping out of the race when they were unable to sustain a great second half comeback in their match against the Narromine Jets played at Cobar. The Jets had established a commanding 20-nil lead by halftime, but their prospects of securing victory looked somewhat shaky after the home side came roaring back into the game, scoring 14 unanswered points to trail but just six. It is now history that the Jets were able to go over for a converted try to extend their lead to 12 points. While the Roosters replied with another try, the first-half deficit was too much for them to reel in, and they lost the game 26-18, ending their season. Meanwhile, some 400 kilometres to the east, the Coonamble Bears were locked in a do-or-die battle with the Gulgong Bull Terriers at Gulgong, with a win to the Bears their only option if they wanted to stay alive in the 2025 premiership race Indeed, they did stay alive, upsetting the home side by converting a 12-6 lead at halftime into an impressive 32-16 win on the road, with their superior points differential securing them fifth spot on the ladder ahead of Dunedoo.They will have to travel that same road again next Sunday for another do-or-die clash with the Bull Terriers in the elimination semi-final. The top of the table clash between the Coolah Kangaroos and the Coonabarabran Unicorns saw the ‘Roos retain their unbeaten status and the Boronia Cup when they outlasted a fast-finishing blue and gold outfit to come away with a 30 to 24 win after leading 30 to 12 at one stage. The loss by the Unicorns, combined with Narromine’s win over Cobar, means that the Jets leapfrogged them on the table and now meet the Jets at Narromine next Saturday in the qualifying semi-final. Fifth position on the ladder in both league tag and reserve grade was also decided by points differential, with the Cobar Roosters finishing ahead of the Warren Bulldogs in league tag and Coonabarabran doing likewise against Gulgong in reserve grade. Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 14 scores:League TagCoolah dominated Coonabarabran last Saturday, cruising to a 62-nil win [PICTURE: Peter Sherwood]  ​Narromine 20 (Shian Chatfield 2, Talitha Chatfield, Jacana Powell tries; Shian Chatfield 2 goals) defeated Cobar 0. ​Coolah 62 (Mackenzie Blackadder 3, Molly Burgess 2, Brooklyn Blackadder 2, Jasmine Thompson, Tori Mogg, Breannah Burgess, Channy Burgess, Jaimi White tries; Tori Mogg 5 goals, Brooklyn Blackadder 2 goals) defeated Coonabarabran 0. ​Baradine 8 (Suzannah Carey 2 tries) defeated Warren 6 (Lilly Dayes try, Maddie Marks 1 goal). ​Dunedoo 60 (Chelsea Gallagher 4, Chloe Brougham 2, Molly Brown, Shelly Cox, Eva Hogden, Jessie Newton, Maigan Meyers tries; Chelsea Gallagher 7 goals, Shelly Cox 1 goal) defeated Gilgandra 0. ​Gulgong 28 (Lolley Tumpey 3, Gabby Wiltshire 2 tries; Lolley Tumpey 4 goals) defeated Coonamble 8 (Taylee Milgate, Shakaye Walker tries). Final Competition Ladder: Coolah: 14 wins, 0 losses, +498, 42 pointsDunedoo: 12 wins, 2 losses, +516, 38 pointsNarromine: 11 wins, 3 losses, +356, 36 pointsBaradine: 10 wins, 4 losses, +174, 34 pointsCobar: 6 wins, 8 losses, -12, 26 pointsWarren: 6 wins, 8 losses, -70, 26 pointsGulgong: 5 wins, 9 losses, -130, 24 pointsCoonamble: 4 wins, 10 losses, -380, 22 pointsCoonabarabran: 2 wins, 12 losses, -428, 18 pointsGilgandra: 0 wins, 14 losses, -524, 14 points Reserve Grade ​Narromine 24 (Rory Miller-Coen 2, Jamari Clarke, Jardeil Landsbrough tries; Liam Wherritt 4 goals) defeated Cobar 6 (Tom Rogers try, Dallas Josephson 1 goal). ​Coonabarabran 44 (Sonny Bill Walker 2, Jarvis Watton 2, Cody Howe, Keizer Wood, Nash Walker, Marshal Tighe, Bailey Reedman tries; Cody Howe 2 goals, Sonny Bill Walker 1 goal, Watton 1 goal) defeated Coolah 8 (Sam Wesley, Mark Shippe tries). ​Coonamble 28 (Tristan Draper, Kobe Leonard, Malekai Haley, Hamish Astill, Jayden Barlow tries; Nathan Walker 2 goals, Kobe Leonard 1 goal, Quinton Kennedy 1 goal) defeated Gulgong 20 (Jack Coupe, Koby Thurston, Rob Brobeck, Brad Toole tries; Caiden Horton 2 goals). ​Baradine 30 (Jai Cain 2, Chris Wallace, Travis Houghton, Wade Sutherland, Ethan Thirkell tries; Jai Cain 3 goals) defeated Warren 4 (Kadyn Griffith try). ​Binnaway 26 (Nathan Ryan 2, Cody Whitty, Ashley Widders, Kevin Nolan tries; Tom Magann 2 goals, Chris Daley 1 goal) defeated Mendooran 0. Final Competition Ladder: Narromine: 6 wins, 0 losses, +106, 18 pointsBaradine: 4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, +74, 15 pointsBinnaway: 4 wins, 2 losses, +80, 14 pointsCoonamble: 3 wins, 2 draw, 2 losses, +12, 14 pointsCoonabarabran: 3 wins, 3 losses, +86, 12 pointsGulgong: 3 wins, 3 losses, +6, 12 pointsCobar: 2 wins, 4 losses, +12, 10 pointsMendooran: 1 win, 1 draw, 4 losses, -100, 9 pointsWarren: 1 win, 5 losses, -122, 7 pointsCoolah: 1 win, 5 losses, -154, 7 points First GradeCoonamble booked their finals spot on Saturday, beating the Gulgong Bull Terriers 32 to 16 [PICTURE: Col Boyd Photography] ​Narromine Jets 26 (Epili Dranuadalo 2, Washington Otoya, Kaiden Hill, Corey Cox tries; Corey Cox 3 goals) defeated Cobar Roosters 18 (Kody Ford, Nathan McAndrew, Tim Hillam, David Watson tries; Tadgh McMullen 1 goal) at Cobar. ​Coolah Kangaroos 30 (Jayden Brown 2, Dan Lane, Hugh Wesley, Tyler Lennox tries; Dan Lane 5 goals) defeated Coonabarabran Unicorns 24 (Sonny Bill Walker, Quade Milgate, Peter Watton, Jordan Baker tries; Nick Willoughby 4 goals) at Coolah. ​Warren Bulldogs 56 (Elias Kennedy 3, Lachlan Clarke 2, Tom Potter, Kaleb Sutherland, Patty Potter, Harry Thaux, Kobe Riley, Tom Storer tries; Tom Potter 5 goals) defeated Baradine Magpies 14 (Logan Dewson, Tom Purdy, Riley Arndell tries; Allan Riley goal) at Warren. ​Coonamble Bears 32 (Dwayne McEwen 2, Andrew Peacocke, Jack Kelly, Daniel Sangster, Jye Dixon tries; Brenton Glover 4 goals) defeated Gulgong Bull Terriers 16 (Mason Hammond, Jackson Pascoe, Blake Gorrie tries; Brad James 2 goals) at Gulgong. ​Dunedoo Swans Bye Final Competition Ladder Coolah: 13 wins, 0 losses, 1 bye, +326, 42 pointsNarromine: 9 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses, 1 bye, +132, 35 pointsCoonabarabran: 9 wins, 4 losses, 1 bye, +169, 34 pointsGulgong: 7 wins, 5 losses, 2 byes, -10, 32 pointsCoonamble: 4 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses, 2 byes, +41, 28 pointsDunedoo: 5 wins, 7 losses, 2 byes, -22, 28 pointsCobar: 4 wins, 8 losses, 1 bye, +11, 26 pointsWarren: 3 wins, 1 draw, 9 losses, 1 bye, -165, 22 pointsBaradine: 0 wins, 12 losses, 2 byes, -482, 17 points Finals Round One: Saturday 9 August: Qualifying Semis at Narromine Reserve Grade: Baradine Magpies (2) vs Binnaway Bombshells (3)League Tag: Dunedoo Swanettes (2) vs Narromine Jets (3)First Grade: Narromine Jets (2) vs Coonabarabran Unicorns (3) Sunday 10 August: Elimination Semis at Gulgong Reserve Grade: Coonamble Bears (4) vs Coonabarabran Unicorns (5)League Tag: Baradine Magpies (4) vs Cobar Roosterettes (5)First Grade: Gulgong Bull Terriers (4) vs Coonamble Bears (5) Reserve grade to kick off at 11:30am both days with other games to follow straight after.Admission: $10.00 and $5.00 concession. Under 16 free. EFTPOS available.