Bryson Luff

The Coonabarabran Unicorns have qualified for the Castlereagh League Grand Final with a 40-38 win over the Narromine Jets in the Preliminary Final on Saturday.

After leading 20-8 at half time, the Unicorns held off a fast finishing Jets outfit to set up a showdown with Coolah in the Grand Final at Bowen Oval this Saturday.

A tense reserve grade game between the Narromine Jets and the Binnaway Bombshells set the tone at Narromine’s Cale Oval for what was to follow with the sizeable crowd treated to three hard fought and entertaining games.

Whilst points in the opening game were hard to come by, that was not to be the case in the other games, but none the less the reserve grade game was an intense battle between the Jets and the Bombshells, with the final result being an 8-0 win to the Bombies which was the direct result of their stoic try line defence that was very much tested throughout the match as the Jets continuously pounded away but could not find a way through.

Binnaway led six points to nil at half time with the only points in the second half being the addition of a penalty goal to their tally.

A very high-quality league tag game between the Jets and the Coolah Flyers was to follow, and spectators didn’t have to wait long for the excitement to begin with a spectacular diving “tag” by a Coolah player stopping an equally spectacular long run by a Jets player just centimetres from the goal line in the opening minute. Then a few moments later the Flyers had gone the length of the field and scored under the posts at the other end.

At half time the Flyers were ahead 10-6 but just four minutes after the resumption of play they were behind 10-12.

The lead changed twice before Coolah edged ahead 20-18 with 12 minutes of play remaining to set up a grandstand finish.

It is history now that the Flyers scored again in the final minutes to register a 26-18 win and gain entry into the grand final next Saturday.

Whilst the reserve grade game may have presented the scoreboard attendant with little to do the first-grade encounter was the exact opposite with no less than 78 points scored, 50 of those coming in a hectic second half.

The Jets got away to a great start against the Coonabarabran Unicorns and on the back of a 40/20 in the opening minute they scored a converted try to lead 6-0 before extending that lead to 8-0 via a penalty goal in the 11^th minute.

However, the rest of the first half belonged to the Unicorns who scored four tries before the break, two of them converted to lead 20-8 at half time.

The first of what was to become a number of Unicorn kick reception errors handed the Jets possession at the beginning of the second stanza and quickly resulted in a Narromine try under the posts and a 20-14 scoreline.

The opportunity to take two points from a penalty was accepted by the Unicorns and they edged out to 22-14 leaders not long after.

Jets winger Epeli Draunidalo then scored two spectacular rapid fire tries, both converted, and the Jets had hit the front leading 26-22 with just 11 minutes gone in the second half.

The remainder of the game was a roller coaster for the supporters of both the sides with the lead changing three times in a chaotic finish before only two points separated them at fulltime, the Unicorns getting home 40-38.

The win by the Unicorns propels them into the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League grand final next Saturday when they will play the Coolah Kangaroos at Coolah, with the ‘Roos going into the game undefeated in season 2025, and in fact have only lost one game in two years, that being the major semi-final in 2024!

The Unicorns however have fully tested the Kangaroos in their two meetings so far this season, losing by only two points, 22-20 in round 9 and then going down 30-24 in the final competition round and they will enter the grand final full of confidence that they can get over the top of the ‘Roos!

The grand final action will kick off at 11.15am, with the reserve grade game between the Baradine Magpies and the Binnaway Bombshells expected to draw a big early crowd of passionate supporters from both clubs early into Coolah’s Bowen Oval!

That game will be followed by what should be a cracking league tag fixture between the Dunedoo Swannettes and the Coolah Flyers.

The Swannettes are the only side to have defeated the Flyers in 2025, that win coming in the major semifinal a couple of weeks ago at Coolah, and whilst they will be highly encouraged by that victory the Flyers will be equally determined to seek redemption for that loss in front of their home crowd and claim the premiership, after having lost narrowly to the Narromine Jets in last years grand final!

Castlereagh Player of the Year awards will be announced after the respective grand finals!