Three teams qualify for grand final night as Narrabri Touch hosts semi-finals

Narrabri Touch hosted its mixed competition semi-finals at Hogan Oval and Leitch Oval on Monday night, where three teams qualified through to their respective grand finals and three other teams were eliminated from the 2022 campaign.

The major semi-finals were won by Sprayerbarn Spinouts (A-grade), Win Or Booze (B-grade) and Hounddogs (C-grade).

Those three teams have all progressed to the deciders of their respective divisions, which will be played at Dangar Park on Friday, June 17.

Also progressing to grand final night will be the winners of the three preliminary finals.

The preliminary finals will be contested on Monday, June 6, and will include the losers of the major semi-finals and the winners of the minor semi-finals that were played this week.

In the A-grade major semi-final, the Sprayerbarn Spinouts ended Agies’ undefeated run to progress straight through to grand final night.

Agies went through the regular season with 13 wins from as many rounds, and then won their 14th match of the season on Monday, May 23, in a social game during the first week of the finals.

However, they went down 4-3 against the Spinouts this week and will now have to go through the preliminary final to get to the decider.

Sprayerbarn’s Jydon Hill bagged a double for his side in its one-try victory, and teammates Tori Allison and Jacob Booby crossed for a try each. Agies’ Harry Pattison scored all three of his team’s tries to finish the match with a hat-trick.

Agies will take on Hammer Time in the preliminary final on June 6 after it also scored a one-try win on Monday.

Hammer Time edged out Tapscott Pumpers 6-5 in the A-grade minor semi-final to advance to week three of the finals series, which also saw the Pumpers’ season come to an end.

Hamish Duncan scored a hat-trick of tries for Hammer Time, Tom Nolan bagged a double and Alex Reed crossed for the other try. Sid Harvey scored two of the Tapscott tries and teammates Daniel Kahl, Jessie Magner and Hollie Pender combined for the other three.

In B-grade, Win Or Booze won the highest-scoring match of the night when it outscored TRTW 8-5.

That result saw Win Or Booze qualify for the June 17 grand final but forced TRTW to go through the preliminary final to get to the big dance.

Win Or Booze’s Cooper Brayshaw went over for four tries in that match, Keegan Richardson bagged a double and Jakeb Nipperess and Caleb McDonald scored a try each. For TRTW, Toby Bentley and Cameron Baguley shared four tries evenly and Brendon Warnock scored one as well.

TRTW now turns its attention to Lumberjack (and Jills) which it will play against in the preliminary final.

Lumberjacks (and Jills) won the B-grade minor semi-final this week when they downed Who’s Shout 5-2. That result eliminated Who’s Shout from the competition. Tashanny Clark bagged a double for the winning side and her teammates Chris Clark, Jack Pixley and Clayton Pursche all chipped in with a try each. Who’s Shout’s tries were scored by Morgan Jones and Ken Nolan.

Meanwhile, Hounddogs progressed to the C-grade grand final by forfeit after their major semi-final opponents, Cougars, were unable to field a side.

Cougars will now take on Witty Wizards in the preliminary final after the Wizards downed Kerrigans 7-1 in the division’s minor semi-final.

Jaiden Lovegrove ran in four tries in his side’s win, and teammates Joel Dewsbury, Cody Shepherdson and Cassidy Staines all scored a try each. Michael Haire scored Kerrigans’ only try.

The preliminary finals will be played at Hogan Oval on Monday, June 6. The draw and referee appointments are as follows:

6pm: Desk duty – Mereka Gleeson. Field one – TRTW v Lumberjacks (and Jills) (referees – Tom Nolan, Cathy Conomos and Hamish Duncan); field two – Cougars v Witty Wizards (referees – Wayne Nott, Craig Gleeson and Scott Purcell).

6.35pm: Desk duty – Joan O’Neill. Field one – Agies v Hammer Time (referees – Craig Gleeson, Brendon Warnock and Ken Nolan).