Castlereagh Column: Coolah Kangaroos keep Cup, Panthers pluck Magpies in Noonan-Campbell showdown

Cover Photo: Stephen Basham

By Bryson Luff

The Coolah ‘Roos held off a formidable challenge for the Boronia Cup from the Cobar Roosters in their Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 13 blockbuster played on a heavy track at Coolah’s Bowen Oval.

The home side survived the clash to retain the silverware with a hard fought 18 to 12 win over the Roosters with the victory not only meaning that they remain undefeated in season 2024, but it also assured them of the minor premiership and subsequently the hosting rights to the Major Semi Final on Saturday 17th August.

Whilst Coolah have the top spot on the ladder stitched up the final pecking order of the top five is yet to be decided with Cobar’s loss to the ‘Roos and Narromine’s 28 to 22 win over the Gulgong Terriers seeing the Jets draw equal with Cobar on the competition ladder, both locked on 33 points on the competition ladder meaning that the results of their games against the Baradine Magpies and Gilgandra Panthers respectively in the final round of the competition this Saturday will determine who finishes second and third.

The Magpies and the Panthers slogged it out for the Noonan-Campbell Cup on a muddied McGrane Oval in Gilgandra last Saturday with the home side coming away with a 22 to 16 victory after they scored a converted try with just two minutes remaining what was a tight contest.

Whilst neither of those sides will be figuring in games beyond round 14 this weekend, they can still have an influence on the final structure of the top five and would like nothing better than to finish their seasons on a high note.

The Coolah Roos are not the only team to have secured the minor premiership with the number one position decided in all the grades, those being the Cobar Roosters in Youth League, the undefeated Narromine Jets in League Tag and the Binnaway Bombshells in Reserve Grade.

However, with just the one competition round remaining the battle is well and truly on for semi final berths in both League Tag and Reserve Grade with many games to be played this Saturday having a bearing on the final makeup of the top five in those competitions.

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 13 scores

Youth League

Cobar 24 (Reece Josephson 2, Charlie Crotty, Kye Taylor, Jayden Paul tries, Tadgh McMullen 2 goals) defeated Binnaway 12 (Dainton Kuras, Hayden Mitchell tries, Sonny Bill Walker, Andrew Peacock goals).

Gulgong 26 (Jay O’Brien 2, Kayden Whiley, Jackson Pascoe, Xavier Yeo tries, Bobby Pascoe 3 goals) defeated Narromine 0.

Competition Ladder: Cobar 28 (Played 10, Won 9, Lost 1), Narromine 20 (P 10, W 5, L 5), Gulgong 19 (P 9, W5, L 4), Binnaway 13 (P 9, W 2, L 7)

League Tag

Coolah 34 (Brooklyn Blackadder 2, Mackenzie Blackadder 2, Taylor Wright, Fiona Whitbourne-Martin, Channy Burgess tries, Lisa Jones 3 goals) defeated Cobar 4 (Sosie Barton try).

Dunedoo 62 (Meg Christensen 3, Lauren Sullivan 3, Asha Russell 2, Shelley Cox, Maddie Cox, Alexis Gallagher, Emma Meyers tries, Chelsea Gallagher 5, Tiffany Fing 2 goals) defeated Coonabarabran 0.

Coonamble 30 (Hannah Towns 3, Jenni Gatt, Kiara McDonald, Taylee Milgate tries, Temia Robinson 3 goals) defeated Binnaway 16 (Claire Jones 2, Amarni Whipper tries, Megan Harris 2 goals).

Narromine 22 (Jacana Powell, Lucy Dawson, Millah Phillips, Rebecca Smythe tries, Shian Chatfield 2, Lily Spackman goals) defeated Gulgong 6 (Amali Hollow try, Claire Bodiam goal).

Baradine 18 (Savannah Carey, Claudia Eastburn, Mariah Pennell, Stephanie Dewson tries, Anna Arndell goal) defeated Gilgandra 4 (Kaityln Brown try).

Competition Ladder: Narromine 39, Coolah 35, Dunedoo 35, Gulgong 31, Baradine 27, Coonamble 27, Cobar 21, Gilgandra 17, Binnaway 14, Coonabarabran 12.

Reserve Grade

Dunedoo 30 (Jack Guan 2, Brad Charlton, Woody James, Nathan Duce, Mack Ellis tries, Mathew Court 2 goals) defeated Cobar 12 (Vester Fernando, Marty Turton tries, Kody Martin 2 goals).

Binnaway 38 (Nathan Ryan 3, Cody Whitty, Nathan Budd, Hayden Mitchell, Jake Phillips tries, Nash Walker 4, Tom Magann goals) defeated Coonamble 12 (Brendan Draper, Jermaine Thurston tries, Brendan Draper, Tristan Draper goals).

Gulgong 26 (Tom James, Matt Manns, Jack Coupe, Bobby Pascoe, John Douglas tries, Jai Cain 3 goals) defeated Narromine 18 (Zach Everett, Chad Jacobson, Mitchell Rixon tries, Jacobson 3 goals).

Gilgandra 40 (George Alchin 2, Brandon Hammond 2, Shane Ritchie, Curtis Carr, Kyzah Louie, Alex Sutherland tries, Gordon Sutherland 2, Alaex Sutherland, Hammond goals) defeated Baradine 30 (Thomas Martin, Liam Fernando, Ethan Hayden, John Milgate, Cheyenne Pennell tries, Fernando 5 goals).

Competition Ladder: Binnaway 15*, Dunedoo 11*, Gilgandra 9, Gulgong 9, Baradine 8, Cobar 8, Narromine 4, Coonamble 4. (* = played extra game)

First Grade

Coolah 18 (Jack Piper, Gerry Sheridan, Casey Burgess tries, Dan Lane 3 goals) defeated Cobar 12 (Nathan McAndrew, Sione Fakahua tries, Thomas Plater 2 goals).

Narromine 28 (Washington Otoya 2, Janus Walford 2, Epeli Draunidalo tries, Doug Potter 3, Brad Pickering goals) defeated Gulgong 22 (Sam Gorrie, Blake Gorrie, Will Hawkins, Daine Patrick tries, Mitch McWhirter 2, Sam Gorrie goals).

Gilgandra 22 (Ty Sutherland 2, Kaleb Sutherland, Ken Johnson tries, Ty Sutherland 3 goals) defeated Baradine 16 (Silver Bunner, Liam Fernando, Logan Dewson tries, Fernando 2 goals).

Competition Ladder: Coolah 39, Cobar 33, Narromine 33, Gulgong 28, Coonabarabran 28, Gilgandra 23, Coonamble 21, Baradine 18.