Castlereagh Column: Top Four to clash this weekend following great games in Round 12

By Bryson Luff

Castlereagh League fans will have the opportunity to watch the top four sides clash in two vital Round 13 contests this Saturday.

The Narromine Jets, currently sitting third on the competition ladder, will be hosting the fourth placed Gulgong Terriers in a game that may well be pivotal in finalising the final finishing order of the top five, and consequently hosting rights for the games in the finals series.

The Terriers are coming off a huge 60 point to nil win over the Gilgandra Panthers last Saturday, in a game where their fullback, Brad James, contributed more than half of those points, running in for five tries plus booting 8 goals in very windy conditions for a personal total of 36 points.

Obviously that win will give them confidence going into the game against Narromine, but the Jets will be a much tougher proposition, particularly as they are playing at their beloved Cale Oval.

Spectators at Narromine will also have the opportunity to witness a Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup league tag game between the undefeated Jets and the fourth placed Terrier sides as well as a Youth League game and reserve grade game between the two clubs.

Whilst that games at Narromine present themselves as as a quality contests, there is no doubt that the Boronia Cup game between the unbeaten Coolah Roos and the second placed Cobar Roosters is the match of the round and one that should see Coolah’s Bowen Oval bulging at the seams, there being a high degree of interest in what many might consider to be a Grand Final preview with first playing second as they currently stand on the competition ladder.

The Roosters would like nothing better than to be heading home with the Boronia Cup, after they lost it to the ‘Roos at Cobar when they last met back in round 4, the score being 22 to 16.

Cobar had a big win over the Baradine Magpies last Saturday, coming away as 56 to 6 victors in the game played at Baradine, whilst Coolah had to survive a second half rally by the Coonabarabran Unicorns before winning 40 points to 30 after looking well in command in the first half.

Undoubtedly the ‘Roos will be addressing the need to stay focussed for the full 80 minutes as they go into Saturday’s game against the talented Roosters outfit.

Apart from the Boronia Cup, with just two rounds remaining, Cobar are mathematically still a chance of being minor premiers if they can win both their games and Coolah loses both theirs, then it would come down to who had the better points differential.

At the moment Coolah has a differential of +267, whilst Cobar’s is +213.

The remaining first grade game this weekend will see the Gilgandra Panthers and the Baradine Magpies clash at Gilgandra, and whilst both clubs are out of semi-final contention, they will be playing for both club pride and the Noonan-Campbell Cup.

First Grade Scores

Coolah 40 (Casey Burgess 2, Joshua Charles, Jayden Brown, Dan Lane, Tyler Austin, Chanse Burgess tries, Lane 6 goals) defeated Coonabarabran 30 (Eddie Kuras, Brad Fuller, Peter Watton, Nick Willoughby, Dylon Tighe tries, Jarvis Watton 5 goals)

Gulgong 60 (Brad James 5, Joey Annetts 2, Zac Warwicker, Will Hawkins, Toby O’Leary, Cody Boan tries, James 8 goals) defeated Gilgandra 0.

Cobar 56 (Thomas Plater 3, Loma Atua 2, Vester Fernando 2, Tyler Coughlan 2, Ashley Davies, Hamish McLeod, tries, Plater 6, Ben Griffith goals) defeated Baradine 6 (Dylan Hohnberg try, Lachlan Young goal).

Competition Ladder: Coolah 36, Cobar 32, Narromine 30, Gulgong 27, Coonabarabran 25,

Gilgandra 20, Coonamble 18, Baradine 17.