Despite having to face another long trip home from Gulgong's Billy Dunn Oval, the Cobar Roosters would have been pleased with their additional luggage on the return journey, that luggage being the Boronia Challenge Cup which came into their possession following their 30 points to 12 defeat of the Gulgong Terriers in round two of the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition.
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The visitors handed the Terriers, the reigning Castlereagh premiers, their first loss since 2022, and in doing so have reinforced the notion of many that they (the Roosters) are the early season favourites for the 2024 premiership honours.
The Chookies sit on top of the competition ladder on six points, along with the other two undefeated sides, the Coolah 'Roos and the Coonabarabran Unicorns who both registered hard-fought wins against Coonamble and Baradine respectively.
In both games the winners were the visiting side and had to fight hard to come away with the competition points, the 'Roos continuing their impressive start to the season with a 14 to six win over the Bears and the Unicorns just getting home in a tough local derby against the Magpies 12 points to six.
In the other game, the Narromine Jets hosted the Gilgandra Panthers with both teams coming off big losses in round one and it was to be the Jets who prevailed in a see-sawing game that saw the scores locked together on three occasions, winning 32 to 22 after the Panthers had led 18 to 12 fifteen minutes into the second half.
Turning to round 3 of the competition, Cobar's first defence of the Boronia Cup will be against the young and enthusiastic Baradine Magpies who, whilst winless at this early stage of the competition, have lost both their games by a combined total of just ten points and no doubt they would like nothing better than to knock the Roosters off their home perch.
Cobar would be ill advised to take them lightly.
Match of the round status has been conferred on the Coolah versus Coonabarabran game to be played at Coolah, where both sides will be very keen to finish the 80 minutes with their unbeaten record intact. Should make for interesting viewing with a big crowd expected to witness the action at what has been a happy hunting ground for the 'Roos thus far this year.
The Narromine Jets will be covering a bit of ground this Saturday, firstly when their Youth League and league tag sides head to The Crater at Binnaway to match it with the Bombshells , those games scheduled to kick off at 10.00am, which will then allow the Jet's faithful time to get to Coonamble to watch their first grade side play the Bears in what is a crucial game for both teams.
Coonamble will host Dunedoo in league tag prior to the first-grade game.
The final game will see the Gilgandra Panthers trying to break their season duck against the visiting Gulgong Terriers in Gilgandra.
Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 2 scores:
Youth League
Gulgong 22 (Bobby Pascoe, Kayden Whiley, Mason Hammond, Ricky Constable tries, Caiden Horton 3 goals) defeated Cobar 16 (Tommy Bryan, Frazer Toropo, Nathan Kelly, Oisin McMullen tries).
League Tag
Dunedoo 34 (Shelley Cox, Chelsea Gallagher, Emma Meyers, Hayley Berg, Paige Thompson, Tiffany Murphy tries, Geogia Price 5 goals) defeated Binnaway 0.
Baradine 62 (Savannah Carey 3, Jalika Leslie 2, Abby Thompson, Chelsea Woodham, Stephanie Dewson, Jorja Carey, Emily Murray, Suzzanah Carey, Ada Craig tries, Jorja Carey 5, Craig 2 goals) defeated Coonabarabran 0.
Gulgong 18 (Tayissa Lucas, Ella Hawkins, Matilda Harper tries, Laurissa Tumpey 3 goals) defeated Cobar 4 (Sosie Barton try).
Narromine 52 (Rebecca Smythe 3, Lucy Dawson 2, Millah Phillips, Emily Edwards, Lajwana Carney, Emily Fardell tries, Shian Chatfield 8 goals) defeated Gilgandra 0.
Coolah 38 (Jasmine Thomson 2, Molly Burgess 2, Jacinta Dummett, Fiona Whitbourne-Martin, Channy Burgess tries, Thompson 3 goals) defeated Coonamble 12 (Shakaye Walker 2, Imogen Pawley tries).
Competition Ladder; Narromine 6, Baradine 6, Dunedoo 6, Coolah 6, Coonamble 4, Gulgong 4, Cobar 2, Gilgandra 2, Binnaway 2, Coonabarabran 2.
First Grade.
Coonabarabran 12 (Shannon Doole 2 tries, Brad Fuller 2 goals) defeated Baradine 6 (Luke Hamilton-Forbes try and goal).
Coolah 14 (Jack Piper, Justin Mogg, Chanse Burgess tries, Hugh Wesley goal) defeated Coonamble 6 (Adam Picken try, Mitch Nalder goal).
Cobar 30 (Loma Atua 2, Nathan McAndrews, Jed Noonan, Tim Hillam, Tadgh McMullen tries, Thamas Plater 3 goals) defeated Gulgong 12 (Mitch McWhirter, Joey Annetts tries, Brad James 2 goals)
Narromine 32 (Epeli Draunidalo, Tyler Beer, Washington Itoya, Doug Potter, Ryan Richardson, Luke Thompson, Cooper Anning tries, Potter 2 goals) defeated Gilgandra 22 (Jarrod Fuller, Wade Peachey, Chris Fuller, Craig Simson, Michael Louie tries, Ty Sutherland goal).
Competition ladder; Cobar 6, Coolah 6, Coonabarabran 6, Gulgong 4, Narromine 4, Baradine 2, Coonamble 2, Gilgandra 2.
Round 3 games Saturday 11 May
- Binnaway V Narromine (Youth League and League Tag - first game at 10.00am).
- Coonamble V Dunedoo (League Tag).
- Coonamble V Narromine (First Grade).
- Gilgandra V Gulgong.
- Coolah V Coonabarabran.
- Cobar v Baradine (Boronia Cup Challenge).
