By Bryson Luff

The Coolah Kangaroos celebrated their comeback to competition football with an emphatic victory over the Cobar Roosters to claim the 2024 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League First Grade premiership.

Having beaten the ‘Roos just a couple of weeks ago in the major semi-final and playing on their beloved Tom Knight Memorial Oval in front of huge number of Cobar supporters the Roosters would have liked their chances of adding to their trophy cabinet going into Saturday’s Grand Final.

However it was to be the visitors, who certainly also had their share of followers at the ground, who got away to great start after their centre, Josh Charles made a strong charge at the line in the sixth minute which attracted a number of defenders. His quick play the ball saw the ball shifted to his winger Jake Burgess, who was able to step inside a number of scrambling defenders to go over wide out for four points to nil lead.

Play then moved from end to end with both sides constantly reverting from defence to attack until Charles was able to spear over under the posts mid-way through the half to make it ten to nil.

Not long after a Rooster was dispatched to the bin for holding a player down after the ‘Roos had made a long incursion into Cobar territory, and it didn’t take long for Coolah to take advantage of having the extra man with front rower Casey Burgess barging over from close range and with Dan Lane adding the extras Coolah’s lead had ballooned out to 16 to nil.

Cobar steadied the ship to some extent when their centre Nathan McAndrew benefited from some nice ball work out the back line to make it 16 to 4.

This seemed to lift the Roosters and not long after a Coolah player was binned with ten minutes to go in the first half they were in again when Tim Hillam, their second rower, was able to force his way over and things were looking decidedly better for the home side with the scoreboard now reading 16 to 8 against them.

However, they were not to go to the sheds at the break with the same score after Coolah’s Jayden Brown was able to ground a perfectly placed grubber kick from Chanse Burgess out wide, and with Lane landing the conversion from the sideline the ‘Roos trooped off with a very handy 14-point lead, the scoreboard being 22 to 8.

The resumption of play saw no further change to the score until more than three-quarters of the game had elapsed. At that point Jake Burgess scored his second try after being on the end of a sweeping backline movement, but up until then the two sides had again both been called on to pull out some heavy defensive work at various stages.

With the scoreboard reading 26 to 8 the Cobar side’s play began to fall away, with their handling in particular becoming sloppy as they tried desperately to make some inroads into the Coolah defence.

Coolah’s captain, Chanse Burgess, put the icing on the premiership cake when he scored with four minutes remaining, Lane completing proceedings with a conversion and a final score of 32 to 8.

The win by the Kangaroos completed a remarkable year for the club, with their First Grade side losing just the one game, that being to Cobar in the major semi. They also had their League Tag team, the Coolah Flyers, feature on grand final day going down narrowly to the unbeaten Narromine Jets.

The Flyers were well in the contest with the score reading 4 all at half time and then 10 all well into the second half until a Jet’s try with seven minutes remaining in the game breaking the deadlock and delivering them a 14 to 10 victory and back-to-back premierships.

The Youth League decider between the Cobar Roosters and the Gulgong Bull Terriers also featured a close and exciting game, with extra time having to be played after the two sides were locked together 12 all at the end of regulation time.

In the end the home side just prevailed, winning 18 to 16 much to the delight of the vast Cobar crowd.

The opening game of the day saw the Gilgandra Panthers and the Baradine Magpies clash in Reserve Grade, with the Gilgandra side scoring four tries to three to come away with an 18 to 14 win.

Individual players were also recognised for their efforts throughout the year and in the grand finals.

Gilgandra’s Curtis Carr was named the player of the grand final in the Reserve Grade, whilst Cobar’s young gun, Reece Josephson won both the Castlereagh Youth League Player of the Year award as well as being named the player of the Grand Final.

Shian Chatfield, from the Narromine Jets was awarded the Castlereagh League, League Tag player of the Year award, whilst her teammate Emily Edwards was acknowledged as the player of the Grand Final.

In first grade Coolah’s hard running centre, Josh Charles, who has been a standout for his team throughout the semis continued his good recent form and was awarded the player of the grand final award, whilst Gulgong’s Brad James became the first player in the history of Castlereagh Rugby League to win the Player of the Year Award for the third time.

Castlereagh League officials are eagerly looking forward to the 2025 season which will begin in earnest when the AGM will be held in November with a key item on the agenda being an application from the Warren Bulldogs to rejoin the competition after a number of years of being in recess, as reported a few weeks ago by Battlers For Bush Footy.

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Grand Final Scores

Played at Tom Knight Memorial Oval Cobar – Saturday 31st August 2024

Reserve Grade;

Gilgandra Panthers 18 (George Alchin 2, Curtis Carr, Alex Sutherland tries, Sutherland goal) defeated Baradine Magpies14 (Mark Martin, Liam Fernando, John Milgate tries, Fernando goal).

Player of the Grand Final; Curtis Carr (Gilgandra)

Youth League;

Cobar Roosters 18 (Reece Josephson, Toby Greenwood, Jayden Paul tries, Tadgh McMullen 3 goals) defeated Gulgong Bull Terriers 16 (Kayden Whiley, Mason Hammond, Ben Hollis, Blake Power tries) in extra time (10 all at full time)

Player of the Grand Final; Reece Josephson (Cobar)

Christie and Hood Castlereagh Player of The Year; Reece Josephson (Cobar).

League Tag

Narromine Jets 14 (Shian Chatfield, Chloe McLean, Emily Fardell tries, Chatfield goal) defeated Coolah Flyers 10 (Brooklyn Blackadder, Mackenzie Blackadder tries, Lisa Jones goal).

Player of the Grand Final; Emily Edwards (Narromine).

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Tag Player of the Year; Shian Chatfield (Narromine).

First Grade;

Coolah Kangaroos 32 (Jake Burgess 2, Joshua Charles, Casey Burgess, Chanse Burgess, Jayden Brown tries, Dan Lane 4 goals) defeated Cobar Roosters 8 (Nathan McAndrew, Tim Hillam tries).

Half Time Coolah 22, Cobar 8.

Player of the Grand Final; Joshua Charles (Coolah)

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Player of the Year; Brad James (Gulgong).