Bryson Luff

The Coonabarabran Unicorns will look to return to the Castlereagh League winners’ circle in an NRL curtain-raiser grand final rematch against Coolah after falling to Cobar 14-6 in a top-of-the-table Boronia Cup showdown at Tom Knight Memorial Oval on Sunday.

In what turned out to be a low scoring, yet nonetheless enthralling battle, the match was not finally decided until a try to Cobar’s hooker and Western Division player, Thomas Plater in the 79th minute secured the win for the Roosters.

There was only one score in the first half, that being a converted try to Coonabarabran’s centre Eddie Kuras with just six minutes remaining to the half time break, and the visitors would have been well pleased to take the six nil lead to the sheds after a very tough first 40 minutes.

With points hard to come by for both sides, it was not until midway through the second stanza that Cobar was to call upon the services of the scoreboard attendant when their lock
Loma Atuau was able to cross the stripe, and with Tadgh McMullen’s conversion being successful it was six all.

That was to remain the score until a McMullen penalty goal broke the deadlock in the 74th
minute to edge his side in front for the first time in the match, but it was still anyone’s game until Plater’s try sealed the deal for the Roosters with one minute remaining.

Apart from retaining the Boronia Cup, the win also elevated the Roosters to outright first place on the competition ladder after the two teams went into the match on 34 points.

Cobar will be out to retain that vital first spot next Saturday when they travel to Narromine to take on the Jets in the last competition round.

After a 36-26 win over the Warren Bulldogs, the Jets will be out to prove that they are not just there to make up the numbers in the final five heading into the semi-finals, and the Roosters cannot afford to lose the game if they want to claim the minor premiership.

Meanwhile the Unicorns will face another testing road trip this Saturday when they play the Coolah Kangaroos in what is a replay of last year’s grand final, but this time the game will be played at Mudgee’s Glen Willow Stadium as the major curtain raiser to the NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the Canberra Raiders.

The Roos downed the Coonamble Bears 34-16, the win maintaining their third position on the ladder, but a loss this Saturday could see them drop down to fourth if the Dunedoo Swans get over the top of the Gilgandra Panthers this Friday night.

Gilgandra will be coming off a hard-fought victory over Gulgong Bull Terriers at Gilgandra, with all the points being scored at the northern end of the of the field, the Panthers getting 20 in the first half and the Terriers just falling short in the second half with 16 after staging a remarkable comeback, the full time siren bringing much relief to the vocal crowd who turned out for Gilgandra’s John “Pug” Farragher’s Old Boys Day.

In league tag, a narrow 12-10 win by Gulgong against Gilgandra means that they now sit
one point ahead of the Pink Panthers in fifth position on the competition table, going into the last round.