With just three rounds to be played in the 2025 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition, the race is well and truly on for a berth in the first-grade semi-finals.

The Coolah Kangaroos would be raging hot favourites to take out the minor premiership after they downed the Narromine Jets 16 to 4 at Narromine on Saturday, and they sit undefeated at the top of the table on 33 competition points with all their three remaining competition games to be played on their home turf.

The Coonabarabran Unicorns (29 competition points) took a giant step towards securing a top two finish when they won a high scoring game against the Gulgong Bull Terriers at Gulgong, the score being 48 to 30.

The Bull Terriers currently occupy fourth spot on the ladder with 25 competition points, one point adrift of the Narromine Jets.

Their loss adds greater importance to their local derby game this Saturday against the Dunedoo Swans, with the Swans one of the three sides currently sharing fifth spot on 21 points, after they downed the Coonamble Bears 24 to 20 last weekend to stay in the race.

The Bears also sit on 21 points along with the Cobar Roosters who suffered a largely unexpected home ground loss to the Warren Bulldogs, losing 42 to 24, with that result having an immediate impact on their finals prospects.

They will have some respite this weekend having the bye but then have to do battle with Coonabarabran (away) and Narromine (home).

The Swans' final three games also feature a last round bye, and after they play Gulgong this week they will head to Baradine in round 13.

Coonamble have to face up to Baradine (home), Coolah (away) and Gulgong (away).

On the league tag scene the Coolah Flyers are now in possession of the Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup after they won a closely fought game against the Narromine Jets on Saturday with the final score being 24 to 18.

This means that the Coolah club will now be defending both the Skinner and the Boronia Challenge Cups this Saturday when they are at home to the Warren Bulldogs, and with the Bulldog’s league tag side currently travelling along quite nicely in fifth position, and their first grade side full of confidence after their big win against the Roosters last Saturday, both Challenge games shape as interesting affairs.

The match of the round will be played out at Narromine’s Cale Oval between the Jets and the Coonabarabran Unicorns.

The Jets will welcome back a couple of their players who missed their game against Coolah last Saturday due to suspension, and they will be out to close the gap on the competition ladder between the two sides with a win to the home side being vital if they are to be any chance of finishing in the top two.

A win to the Unicorns will guarantee them a second-place finish come the end of the competition rounds, irrespective of their results against Cobar at home in round 13 and Coolah at Coolah in round 14.

The Coonamble Bears will be hoping to get back in the winner’s circle when they host the Baradine Magpies, a win being paramount if the want to have any hope of playing in the finals, whilst the same could be said of the Dunedoo Swans in their home game against Gulgong.

Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Round 11 scores

League Tag

Coolah 24 (Molly Burgess 2, Jasmine Thompson, Brooklyn Blackadder tries, Tori Mogg 4 goals) defeated Narromine 18 (Lily Spackman, Shian Chatfield, Chloe McLean, Hannah Towns tries, Chatfield goal).

Gulgong 46 (Chloe Patrick 2, Millie Harper, Imogen Hollow, Claire Bodiam, Montana Liebeck, Ella Hawkins, Alexis Douglas, Lolly Tumpey tries, Bodiam 4, Tumpey goals) defeated Coonabarabran 10 (Rachael Barron, Britney Andrews tries, Barron goal).

Dunedoo 60 (Chelsea Gallagher 5, Meg Christensen 2, Matilda Harper 2, Shelley Cox, Alexis Gallagher tries, Georgia Price 6, Chelsea Gallagher 2 goals) defeated Coonamble 0.

Warren 32 (Mab Fuller 5, Maddie Marks tries, Marks 4 goals) defeated Cobar 14 (Taylah Good 2, Rori Urqhart tries, Bianna Watson goal).

Baradine 24 (Savannah Carey 2, Holly Woodham 2, Hope Smith, Jorja Carey tries) defeated Gilgandra 6 (Skye Doherty try, Kadesia Wakely goal).

Competition table: Coolah 33, Dunedoo 29, Narromine 27, Baradine 27, Warren 23, Cobar 19, Coonamble 19, Gulgong 17, Coonabarabran 15, Gilgandra 11.

Reserve Grade

Narromine 26 (Jahdeil Landsborough, Jamari Clarke, Mitch Rixon, Jordan Richardson, Budd Cape tries, Peter Fisher 3 goals) defeated Coolah 0.

Gulgong 20 (Johnny Douglas, Caiden Horton, Karl Weatherly, Rob Bradbeck tries, Horton 2 goals) defeated Coonabarabran 18 (Koopa Thompson, Danny Rogers, Jacob Baker, Nash Walker tries, Jarvis Watton goal).

Binnaway Bombshells 28 (Travis Elwell, Cody Whitty, Jade Hooper, Dane Anastasis, Nathan Budd tries, Tom Magann 3, Budd goals) defeated Baradine 0.

Mendooran Tigers 28 (Carter Swan, Rona Barr, Mathew Murray, Will Duce, Nathan Duce tries, Stephen Eyles 3 goals) drew with Coonamble 28 (Derek Robinson, Kevin Thurston, Jack Kelly, Jermaine Thurston, Vinny Hill tries, Kevin Thurston 2, Kobe Leonard goals).

Cobar 60 defeated Warren 0.

Competition ladder: Narromine 9, Cobar 7, Baradine 7, Coonabarabran 7, Gulgong 7, Coonamble 6, Mendooran 6, Warren 4, Binnaway 5, Coolah 2.

First Grade

Coolah Kangaroos 16 (Sam Wesley, Jayden Brown, Hugh Wesley tries, Dan Lane 2 goals) defeated Narromine Jets 4 (Washie Itoya try) at Narromine.

Coonabarabran Unicorns 48 (Brad Fuller 2, Sam Pickette 2, Nick Willoughby, Sam Wilson, Jarvis Watton, Tyson Farrell, Sonny Bill Walker tries, Fuller 6 goals) defeated Gulgong Bull Terriers 30 (Blake Gorrie 2, Dan Crane 2, Joey Annetts tries, Brad James 5 goals) at Gulgong.

Dunedoo Swans 24 (Ty Sutherland 2, Rory Madden, Ben Gallagher tries, Sutherland 4 goals) defeated Coonamble Bears 20 (Preston Smith 2, Kane Wiggins, Derek Robinson tries, Brenton Glover 2 goals) at Dunedoo.

Warren Bulldogs 42 (Elias Kennedy 5, Harry Thaux, Donald Kennedy tries, Thomas Potter 7 goals) defeated Cobar Roosters 24 (Tim Hillam 2, Thomas Plater, Gerald Mackay tries, Lochlan Ford 3, Plater goals) at Cobar

Coonamble Bears bye.

Competition Ladder: Coolah 33, Coonabarabran 29, Narromine 26, Gulgong 25, Cobar 21, Coonamble 21, Dunedoo 21, Warren 18, Baradine 12.

Round 12

Friday, July 18: Gilgandra V Cobar (league tag)

Saturday, July 19: Binnaway V Cobar (reserve grade), Coonamble V Baradine, Dunedoo V Gulgong, Narromine V Coonabarabran, Coolah V Warren (Jessica Skinner Challenge Cup in League Tag and Boronia Cup Challenge in First Grade).

Check local media and club socials to confirm game times.