Blues and Cowboys produce an entertaining day of rugby league

The Narrabri Blues and Dungowan Cowboys produced a sensational day of rugby league at Collins Park in the 13th round of the 2022 Group 4 Rugby League season on Saturday as all who were in attendance at the Narrabri Rugby League Football Club’s ladies’ day event were treated to a day of competitive and entertaining games.

The largest winning margin across all four grades was eight points, and the combined winning margin across all four was just 18 points.

Both clubs celebrated two wins each on the day.

Proceedings got underway with the ladies league tag match, which saw a determined Bluebirds team throw everything it had at the visitors.

The Narrabri players proved they have what it takes to match it with the best as they pushed the fourth-placed Dungowan side to the final whistle in a 20-18 loss.

The performance and result were proof that the side is building toward something special after it was beaten 68-8 by Dungowan the last time the two sides met.

On Saturday, the Bluebirds’ coach Kristie Toomey crossed for one of her side’s tries and teammates Tashanny Clark and Krista Zarka went over for the other two. Clark also slotted all three of the home side’s conversions.

Their teammate Taylah Fogarty was impressive once again and earned the two Group 4 Rugby League best and fairest points.

The Blues’ under-18s side scored its third win of the season in the second game of the day to keep its top four hopes alive.

The Narrabri boys won 28-24 in what was the seventh game they have played in so far this season.

Chris Clarke, Malik Dennis, Zack Mallows, Josh Briggs and Gus Smith all scored a try each, while Kaleb Teer slotted three conversions and Jacob Price kicked one.

Their teammate Tim Shields was the player of the match and picked up three Group 4 Rugby League best and fairest points for his performance, while Narrabri’s Danny Kelly was also awarded a point.

That was Narrabri’s second on-field win of the year and its third overall after it prevailed by forfeit in one of its games earlier in the season.

The Blues are fifth on the ladder and trail fourth-placed Werris Creek by just two points.

They have byes in rounds 14, 15 and 16 and are not scheduled to play until Sunday, August 21, in round 17 against Kootingal-Moonbi.

The Blues celebrated their second win of the day in game three at Collins Park on Saturday when the reserve grade side scored a 24-16 victory.

Narrabri outscored Dungowan five tries to three in that match, and both sides kicked two goals each.

Robert Condran bagged a double as he moved to second on the leading try-scorers tally with eight tries in the 2022 season, just two behind David Annis-Brown, who started the season as a Moree Boar before switching to play for the Blues.

Beau Tomlinson went over for his second try of the season in that match and then crossed for his third as he finished the day with a double, while his teammate Trent Keeler scored the Blues’ other try.

Cameron Yates added four extra points as he slotted two of the Blues’ five conversions.

Narrabri’s gun lock forward Keeler continued a standout season in that match as he earned three more Group 4 best and fairest points to jump to second on the reserve grade tally. He is now on 13 points and trails only Dungowan’s hooker Dale Wood, who is now on 21 points after he was awarded two in his side’s loss against Narrabri.

Keeler’s teammate Rylee Sadler was awarded the one point.

That result was a significant one for Narrabri as the Blues joined the fourth-placed Cowboys on 16 points.

Dungowan entered the round in second place, leading both the North Tamworth Bears and the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters on for and against difference.

Those two sides both won to move to 18 points and remain six adrift of the first-placed Moree, which has now accumulated 24 points following 10 wins, two byes and just one loss in the 2022 campaign.

The Cowboys dropped to fourth and now only lead the fifth-placed Blues on for and against difference.

The fourth game of the day saw the Blues go down in first grade as the Cowboys returned home with the two points following a 28-24 win.