Narrabri Touch Inc’s qualifiers washed out but elimination semi-finals go ahead

Narrabri Touch Inc’s 2020-21 summer season entered week one of its three-week finals series on Monday.

Five of the 10 matches were washed out and abandoned, all of which were qualifying semi-finals while the elimination semi-finals still went ahead.

As a result of the cancellation of the qualifying semi-finals, the top-ranked teams in each of the five divisions progressed straight through to the March 29 grand finals.

Those five teams were Agies Ladies (ladies’ A-grade), Phoenix Two390 (ladies’ B-grade), RSL Roulettes (ladies’ C-grade), Grumley Builders (men’s A-grade) and Cougars (men’s B-grade).

The five teams which placed second on their respective ladders, which were Specialised Civil Services (ladies’ A-grade), Blue Birds (ladies’ B-grade), OneDay Gals (ladies’ C-grade), Platform X Studio (men’s A-grade) and DTA Lumberjacks (B-grade), will now play the winners of Monday’s elimination semi-finals in the March 22 preliminary finals for a chance to join the top-ranked teams on grand final day.

On Monday, three of the five elimination semi-final winners were the fourth-placed teams.

In the men’s A-grade competition, third-placed side Gee Bangers was knocked out by fourth-placed Win Or Booze. Cooper Brayshaw crossed for four tries in his side’s 9-4 win, while his Win Or Booze teammates Harry Pattison and Lachlan Trindall both bagged doubles and Brock Schwager chipped in with a try. Gee Bangers’ Jaxson Watson scored two of his team’s tries and the other two were shared between Michael Cain and Todd Nichols.

In the men’s B-grade elimination final, fourth-placed Ballbusters downed the higher-ranked Stylies 5-4. Dean Hancock and Connor Parkes claimed two tries each for the winners while teammate Colin Parkes scored the other. Stylies’ Scott Rickard scored two of his team’s tries and the other two were shared between Luke Flood and Taylor Gordon.

The other third-placed team to be eliminated was ladies’ A-grade team Xtra which went down 2-1 in a low-scoring nail-biter against Redbacks. Zoe Campbell and Tianne Parker scored a try each for Redbacks, while Mereka Gleeson claimed Xtra’s only try of the game.

In the ladies’ B-grade competition, third-placed BPR-Tourist Hotel made light work of the lower-ranked Hounddogs in an 8-0 win. Rebecca Artis and Jasmine Wheeler both bagged doubles for BPR-Tourist Hotel, and the side’s other four tries were scored by Heidi Campbell, Tanya Nolan, Louise Penberthy and Kate Wheeler.

The ladies’ C-grade fixture saw The Emasculators edge out The Rippers 4-3. In that elimination semi-final, Alice Woodhill bagged a double for the winning side and her teammates Onika McConnell and Sophie Donatini crossed for a try each. The Rippers’ three tries were shared between Taneika Cochrane, Cady Davies and Ruby Stewart.