By Jamie Parsons

Five clubs had a very long trip ahead of them on Saturday morning as rain on Thursday and Friday had closed Mossgiel and Booligal roads.

Goolgowi had the shortest trip at 325km, but to their credit all clubs made the trip and made a great day, giving back to Ivanhoe for the travel times they do every week to attend other clubs’ home games.

Unfortunately one team that couldn’t make it was Hillston Bluebirds’ womens, with the Mossgiel Road closed and a flat tyre early in the morning forcing a forfeit to Goolgowi.

Women’s Games

Narrandera took on Rankins Springs in the first game of the day after the early forfeit. Both teams came over with ten players, only one on the bench so big minutes were forced upon many of the girls.

Narrandera had the bulk of possession and managed two tries in the first half despite a lot of desperate Dragonettes defence.

They built on the half time lead of 8-0 to go one better in the second half and ran away victors 14-0.

The win moves them up to second on the ladder.

A short Ivanhoe Hens side borrowed some Rankins Springs girls and held out the rampaging Barellan Rams girls for a log time in the first half, with many of their players unavailable due to the Black and Whites game on the same day.

Barellan’s class got through in the end, winning the Grand Final rematch 26-4 with two tries to Amie Fazekas.

Men’s Games

Hillston and Goolgowi showed up for only the fifth meeting between the two sides and the first since 2022 at the same ground.

Goolgowi took an early lead due to a trademark dummy half try to veteran Laurie Sandford, but Hillston were the stronger in the second half, two tries to Jardin Morcome and Nathan Dauth had them up 12-6, and they kept the Rabbitohs out for the rest of the game to get their first win of the season.

Narrandera and Rankins Springs turned up with 16 players each, both borrowing two Hillston players and both Ben Pittman and Amber Clarke-Baldock filled in as Level 1 trainers in a fantastic show of sportsmanship from the Bluebirds club.

Strong defence from both sides held the game scoreless until D’Andre Williams scored the first out wide for the Lizards.

The Dragons though would finish stronger in the first half with Josh Curphey breaking through and then a big break from Lachie Brill leading to a Brent Parsons try from dummy-half, 12-6 at halftime.

Clinton Green, out of retirement for this match, would level it up at 12-all and a couple missed opportunities by the Dragons at the end of the game meant it stayed that way.

Ivanhoe ran out at home against the undefeated Rams side and started off brilliantly, three unconverted tries had them up 12-0 including a Phillip Hunter double.

The young and fit Rams side though finished the better and were back in the contest, with two converted tries levelling the scores at 12-all.

Same as in the second game a couple missed opportunities from both sides kept the scoreline level, with the third draw of the season.

Next weekend is a break for the long weekend, with Round 4 heading to Goolgowi for rivalry round with Hillston v Ivanhoe, Barellan v Narrandera & Goolgowi v Rankins Springs in a round of local derbies.

Men’s Ladder

	W	L	D	F	A	PD	Pts
Bar’n	2	–	1	88	28	60	5
Narr	2	–	1	62	38	24	5
R Spr	1	–	2	46	34	12	4
Iv’hoe	–	1	2	44	46	-2	2
H’ston	1	2	–	24	84	-60	2
Gool	–	3	–	26	60	-34	0

Top Tryscorers – Noah Forbutt 5, Stan Herrmann 3, Caleb Atkinson 3, Jyi Romeo 3

Top Pointscorers – Noah Forbutt 36, Brayden Ingram 16, Damian Walker 14

Women’s Ladder

	W	L	D	F	A	PD	Pts
Bar’n	3	–	–	122	10	112	6
Narr	2	1	–	50	18	32	4
Iv’hoe	2	1	–	40	44	-4	4
R Spr	1	2	–	34	50	-16	2
Gool	1	2	–	31	78	-47	2
H’ston	–	3	–	22	97	-75	0

Top Tryscorers – Sophia Kelsey 5, Amie Fazekas 4, Brittany Everett 3, Sharni Winter 3

Top Pointscorers – Monique Higgins 38, Sophia Kelsey 20, Amie Fazekas 16