Photo: Peter Sherwood Photography

Bryson Luff

With just three rounds to be played in the 2025 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition the race is well and truly on for a berth in the First Grade semi-finals.

The Coolah Kangaroos are raging hot favourites to take out the Minor Premiership after they downed the Narromine Jets 16-4 at Narromine last Saturday.

The Roos sit undefeated at the top of the table on 33 competition points with all their three remaining competition games to be played on their home turf.

The Coonabarabran Unicorns (29 competition points) took a giant step towards securing a top two finish when they won a high scoring game 48-30 against the Gulgong Bull Terriers at Gulgong.

The Bull Terriers currently occupy fourth spot on the ladder with 25 competition points, one point adrift of the Narromine Jets.

Their loss adds greater importance to their local derby game this Saturday against the Dunedoo Swans, with the Swans one of the three sides currently sharing fifth spot on 21 points, after they downed the Coonamble Bears 24-20 last weekend to stay in the race.

The Bears also sit on 21 points along with the Cobar Roosters who suffered a largely unexpected home ground loss to the Warren Bulldogs, losing 42-24 with that result having an immediate impact on their finals prospects.

They will have some respite this weekend having the bye but then have to do battle with Coonabarabran (away) and Narromine (home).

The Swan’s final three games also feature a last round bye and after they play Gulgong this week, they will head to Baradine in round 13.

Coonamble have to face up to Baradine (home), Coolah (away) and Gulgong (away).

On the league tag scene the Coolah Flyers are now in possession of the Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup after they won a closely fought game against the Narromine Jets last Saturday with the final score being 24-18.

This means that the Coolah club will now be defending both the Skinner and the Boronia Challenge Cups this Saturday when they are at home to the Warren Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs’ league tag side currently travelling along quite nicely in fifth position, and their first grade side is full of confidence after their big win against the Roosters last Saturday, meaning both Challenge games shape as interesting affairs.

The match of the round will be played out at Narromine’s Cale Oval between the Jets and the Coonabarabran Unicorns.

The Jets will welcome back a couple of their players who missed their game against Coolah last Saturday due to suspension and they will be out to close the gap on the competition ladder between the two sides with a win to the home side being vital if they are to be any chance of finishing in the top two.

A win to the Unicorns will guarantee them of a second-place finish come the end of the competition rounds, irrespective of their results against Cobar at home in round 13 and Coolah at Coolah in round 14.

The Coonamble Bears will be hoping to get back in the winner’s circle when they host the Baradine Magpies, a win being paramount if the want to have any hope of playing in the finals, whilst the same could be said of the Dunedoo Swans in their home game against Gulgong.