Bryson Luff

The Dunedoo Swans made the short trip to Coolah to take on the Coolah Roos in round five of the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition and they returned home with both the Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup and the Boronia Cup in what was a great day for the green and whites.

The Swannettes led the way in the league tag clash, laying the platform for their win in the first half, going into half time leading 16-4.

The second half saw both sides add ten points to their half time tallies but with the home side unable to reel in the half time deficit the Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup was headed south.

In an outstanding individual performance, the Swannettes’ Chelsea Gallagher scored 22 of
her side’s 26 points with four tries and three goals.

That win set the tone for the first grade Boronia Cup Challenge game, and what a game it
turned out to be, with both sides scoring four tries and in the end it came down to goal kicking with the Swans sharpshooter Ty Sutherland landing four from four, just edging out Coolah’s Brad Pickering who notched three from four.

The 24-22 loss by the Roos ended a rather remarkable home ground record for the
Coolah club, it being their first loss at Bowen Oval since the club reformed three years ago.

The Swans first Boronia Cup Challenge defence will be a tough one as they will be hosting the thus far undefeated Cobar Roosters next Saturday in a clash that should pack out Roberston Oval.

The Roosters had little trouble against the Gulgong Bull Terriers last Saturday, cruising to a 62-0 win on their home turf.

At Warren, the Bulldogs played host to the Gilgandra Panthers and they looked as if they might be in for their first win of the season when they deservedly went to the break holding a substantial 20-6 lead armed with the knowledge that they would be playing a 12-man Panther outfit for the first ten minutes of the second stanza after a Gilgandra player was dispatched to the sin bin with just eight seconds remaining in the first half.

Whilst the Bulldogs rightly dominated the first half in terms of both possession and field position, they were very much aided and abetted by an abysmal first half handling display by the visitors.

In what turned out to be a game of two halves it was to be the Panthers who had an overwhelming share of possession in the second stanza, and with their handling being greatly improved they clawed their way back into the game and with ten minutes to go they hit the lead for the first time with the scoreboard reading 30-26.

In a helter-skelter finish the Bulldogs looked as if they might have at least salvaged a draw when their winger looked set to score out wide with just two minutes remaining, but to the dismay of their supporters the ball came loose and the Panthers managed to hold on for the win.

In the game played on Sunday between the Narromine Jets and the Coonamble Bears at Narromine it was again goal kicking that decided the result after both sides had scored six tries in an entertaining game, with the Jets getting the win 32-28.

On an unfortunate note, the Baradine Magpies have withdrawn their first-grade team from the rest of the 2026 competition following a horror run of injuries that has stretched their player numbers to breaking point.

Teams drawn to play the Magpies in first grade will now receive a bye.

The Baradine league tag side will continue to play.