Narrabri Touch to host grand final games on Monday night

Narrabri Touch’s 2023 season mixed competition will come to an end this Monday, June 5, when the grand final night is hosted at Hogan Oval.

There will be three matches played on the night, which will see Cougars and Sprayerbarn Spinouts contest the A-grade decider, Tradies and Ladies take on Win or Booze in the B-grade decider, and the Wilga Pelicans and Specialised Quarries and Concrete go head-to-head in the C-grade decider.

The A-grade grand final is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing in recent seasons as the two teams have hardly been separated in 2023.

Cougars and Sprayerbarn Spinouts have only met one another on one occasion this season, which was in the major semi-final after their round eight match during the regular season was washed out.

After finishing locked on 35 points at the top of the ladder after 10 wins, a draw, a washed out draw and a loss each, it was the Spinouts that claimed the minor premiership as they had a superior for and against difference.

However, when they finally met in the major semi-final on Monday, May 15, Cougars prevailed to qualify for the grand final.

It was a close contest that went into a drop-off period after they contested a 6-all draw in regulation time, and it was Cougars’ Rya Knox who scored the winning try.

That result meant that the Spinouts would need to win in the preliminary final to join Cougars in the decider, and they did that this week.

They took on the Banksia Babes and Blokes on Monday at Hogan Oval and scored a 5-2 win to progress through to grand final night.

Nick Anderson, Brooke Field, Jydon Hill, Chelsea Hancock and Connor Hill all scored tries for the Spinouts, while Sid Harvey and Holly Pender crossed once each for Banksia Babes and Blokes in the side’s last game of the campaign.

The B-grade preliminary final was an even closer match as Win Or Booze downed Hounddogs 4-2.

Hamish Duncan bagged a double in Win Or Booze’s victory and his teammates Aliks Davis and George Scilley crossed for a try each.

Hounddogs’ two tries were scored by Baxter Gabbott and Ryan McFetridge.

Tradies and Ladies and Win Or Booze have met one another two times this season, both of which were won by Tradies and Ladies.

Their first meeting was back in round 10 when Tradies and Ladies prevailed 6-2, and then they met again in the major-semi-final as Tradies and Ladies progressed to the decider with a 13-5 victory.

Win Or Booze are definitely the underdogs come Monday, but an upset could be on the cards.

In the C-grade competition, the two grand finalists are also the top-ranked teams in the division.

They both finished on 20 points and it was Specialised Quarries and Concrete that was ranked the higher of the two over Wilga Pelicans based on for and against difference.

However, when they met in the major-semi-final, Wilga Pelicans prevailed 6-4 to progress through to the grand final.

That was their second encounter of the year after they contested a 4-all draw back in round 11.

The Specialised Quarries and Concrete side bounced back from their major semi-final loss with a 5-3 preliminary final victory over TRTW this week.

Clayton Pursche scored a hat-trick for the winning side and his teammate Ruby Clayton bagged a double.

TRTW’s three tries were scored by Frazer Penberthy, Lincoln Saunders and Lennon Simmonds.

The grand final fixtures and ref appointments for Monday, June 5, are as follows:

6pm:

Field one (B-grade grand final) – Tradies and Ladies v Win or Booze (referees – Linton Grumley, Craig Gleeson and Jydon Hill).

Field two (C-grade grand final) – Wilga Pelicans v Specialised Quarries & Concrete (referees – Clifford Toomey Junior, Brendon Warnock and Pat Mowle).

6.35pm:

Field one (A-grade grand final) – Cougars v Sprayerbarn Spinouts (Nathan Dicks, Ken Nolan and Brendon Warnock).