Bryson Luff

After a year in the wilderness the Gilgandra Panthers celebrated their return to the playing field with a win against the Baradine Magpies in round one of the 2026 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition.

Playing in front of a large and appreciative home crowd a three try performance by co-coach and centre Tyler Bamblett saw the Panthers come away with a strong 40-10 victory over a black and white outfit that tried hard to the final whistle.

Bamblett’s direct and hard running in the centres saw him have two tries in the bank before half time and along with a try to his coaching partner, second rower David Smith, the Panthers held a hard fought 16-6 lead at the break.

The second half was punctuated by numerous injury stoppages as Gilgandra went on with
the job, despite having a player sent off in the 17th minute, in what was at times a feisty affair, to register an important win for the club after being missing in action last year.

At Narromine the Jets may have considered themselves unlucky not to have come away with maximum competition points in their match against the reigning premiers, the Coolah Kangaroos, having outscored the visitors in the try scoring department but having to settle for a 30-all draw.

The Jets can take some solace in the fact that they are the first side to claim a competition point from the Kangaroos in the past three seasons.

In the other games there was plenty of try scoring action happening, there being no less than 13 tries scored at Dunedoo’s Robertson Oval when the Swans got over the Coonamble Bears 42-36, whilst just down the road at Gulgong spectators saw the Coonabarabran Unicorns register a 38-26 win over the Bull Terriers, with the visitors crossing for seven four pointers which was two more than the Terriers could manage.

The Unicorns would have been very confident that they had the game in the bag at half time, trooping to the sheds as 26-4 leaders.

However, the fighting spirit of the Terriers shone through in the second half, and they certainly were well in the contest when the scoreboard saw them trail 26-32 deep into the final 40.

It is history now that Coonabarabran finished the scoring action for the afternoon with a converted try to come away with important first up victory.

In the final game played at Cobar there were 11 tries scored, but unfortunately for the Warren Bulldogs the Roosters scored eight of them and they were beaten 44-16.

On the league tag scene the Gilgandra Pink Panthers broke through for their first win in a
number of seasons when they edged out Baradine, an improved Gulgong team just got over the Unicorns, the Coolah Kangaroos gave notice that they are out to defend their
premiership with a solid win over the Narromine Jets whilst their grand final opponents from last year, the Dunedoo Swannettes ran rampant over Coonamble and the Cobar
Roosterettes and the Warren Bulldogs fought out a draw.

There will be a general bye this weekend for ANZAC with round two of the competition to be played on May 2nd.

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 1 Scores

Youth League

Gilgandra 22 (Peter Peters, Sam Dunn, Jackson Lang, Tye Parker, Sailor Ryan, tries, Peters
goal) drew with Coonabarabran 22 (Zane Jenner 2, Jake Deshon tries, Zenner 3 goals).

League Tag

Gilgandra Pink Panthers 16 (Kiara Brown, Kathryn Larkin, Jess Keogh tries, Kadesia
Wakely, Brown goals) defeated Baradine Magpies 10 (Chelsea Woodham, Holly Arndell
tries, Anna Arndell goal)

Gulgong 30 (Lolly Tumpy 3, Millie Harper, Chloe Patrick tries, Tumpy 5 goals)
defeated Coonabarabran 24 (Hannah Deshon 2, Jessie Newton, Emily Mathews, Emma
Dafter tries, Racheal Barron 2 goals).

Dunedoo Swannettes 60 (Matilda Harper 5, Shelley Cox 3, Lauren Sullivan, Mya Clisby, Jorja Price tries, Price 7, Cox goals) defeated Coonamble Bears 0.

Coolah 38 (Brooklyn Blackadder 5, Monika Mitrevska, Jaimie White tries, Blackadder 5 goals) defeated Narromine 26 (Lily Spackman 3, Kaitlyn Brown, Lydia Gordon tries, Shian Chatfield 3 goals).

Cobar 22 (Brianna Watson, Taylah Good, Kaylah Hasson-Williams, Neve Carter tries, Watson 3 goals) drew with Warren 22 (Mab Fuller 2, Katina Darcy, Lilley Dayes tries, Dayes 2, Amber Gordon goals).

Competition Ladder: Dunedoo 3, Coolah 3, Gilgandra 3, Gulgong 3, Cobar 2, Warren 2, Baradine 1, Coonabarabran 1, Narromine 1, Coonamble 1.

First Grade

Gilgandra Panthers 40 (Tyler Bamblett 3, Luke Ritchie 2, Jarrod Fuller, Josh Bamblett, David Smith tries, Shane Ritchie 3, Alex Sutherland goals) defeated Baradine Magpies 10 (Silver Bunner, Cameron Worrell tries, Dom Cruikshank goal).

Coonabarabran Unicorns 38 (Sonny Bill Walker 2, Dave Sulter 2, Nick Willoughby, Brad Fuller, Jarvis Watton tries, Willoughby 5 goals) defeated Gulgong Bull Terriers 26 (Toby O’Leary, Ethan Parsons, Jackson Pascoe, Liam Heard, Ty Reynolds tries, Oli Hollow 2, Heard goals).

Dunedoo Swans 42 (Ali Beale 2, Ty Sutherland, Josateki Masibalavu, Thomas Stimson, Will Duce, Bailey Mathews tries, Sutherland 7 goals) defeated Coonamble Bears 36 (Kevin Thurston-Welsh 2, Daniel Sangster, Jye Dixon, Mitch Nalder, Jermaine Thurston tries, Brenton Glover 6 goals).

Narromine Jets 30 (Epeli Draunidalo, Janus Walford, Zach Everett, Ryan Richardson, Jaidyn Chapman, Jahrydd Usher tries, Corey Cox 2, Kaiden Hill goals) drew with Coolah Kangaroos 30 (Braydon Burgess 2, Jack Piper, Casey Burgess, Chanse Burgess tries, Brad Pickering 3, Bradon Burgess 2 goals).

Cobar Roosters 44 (Jackson Vallis 2, Tristan Everett, Tadgh McMullen, Nathan McAndrew, Loma Atuau, Oisin McMullen, Reynold Mugugia tries, Tadgh McMullen 6 goals) defeated Warren Bulldogs 16 (Isayah Kelly, Donald Kennedy, Elias Kennedy tries, Coby Hall 2 goals).

Competition ladder: Gilgandra 3, Cobar 3, Coonabarabran 3, Dunedoo 3, Narromine 2, Coolah 2, Coonamble 1, Gulgong 1, Warren 1, Baradine 1.

General bye ANZAC weekend

Round 2 May 2nd: Coonamble v Gilgandra, Warren v Coonabarabran, Baradine v Gulgong, Dunedoo v Narromine, Cobar v Coolah.