Narrabri Touch’s mixed competition gets underway at the Cooma Oval fields

It was a welcome return as Narrabri Touch’s 2024 campaign season one competition got underway with a bang on Monday at the Cooma Oval fields.

There are 12 teams competing in this year’s mixed competition, which will all play 11 regular season games before being graded for the back end of the season.

The teams will be split into three pools of four for the final three rounds and the finals series.

The grand final is scheduled to be contested on Monday, June 24, under lights at Hogan Oval.

Games will be played at Cooma Oval up until the end of daylight saving in April, and then the teams will move over to Hogan Oval and Leitch Oval to play out the remainder of the season from Monday, April 8.

The opening round of the campaign was full of attacking flair as 61 tries were scored across the six matches.

In one of the first three matches contested this year, Just Gammin beat Sprayerbarn Spinouts 5-4 in a thriller, while Wilga Pelicans outscored RSL Guys and Gals 10-1 and Win Or Booze kept a clean sheet in a 9-0 win against Kerrigans.

There was another one-point game in the evening’s second timeslot as Hammertime edged out Tradies and Ladies 7-6, while Banskia Babes and Blokes defeated One Hit Wonders 7-4 and the JWG Hounddogs outscored Touch ‘n’ Go 7-1.

In Just Gammin’s opening-round win, Jaylen Sharpley bagged a double and his teammates Isaiah Cochrane, Mackenzie Knox and Jordan Harvey all scored a try each.

The Sprayerbarn Spinouts’ four tries were shared between Luci Coffey, Luke Tuckey, Tori Allison and Jock Small.

The Wilga Pelicans’ youngest player was the star of the show in their big win as Lachie Coffey ran in four tries.

His teammates Murray Scott and Tianne Paker both crossed twice, and Emily Flood and Ken Nolan chipped in with a try each, while RSL Guys and Gals’ lone try was scored by Brittany Young.

Win Or Booze’s Brock Schwager was the second player in round one to go over for four tries as he led his side to a nine-point win against Kerrigans.

Emy Farr added two tries and Meika Foley, Caleb McDonald and George Scilley all went in once, while their team was almost faultless on the other side of the ball as they didn’t concede.

JWG Hounddogs duo Seamus Hunt and Ryan McFetridge bagged doubles in their side’s win, while teammates Baxter and Bernard Gabbott and Todd McFetridge also crossed the stripe.

Touch ‘n’ Go’s lone try was claimed by Lachlan Ford.

Banksia Babes and Blokes’ Matt McDonnell started the season in style with a hat-trick in his side’s three-try win, and the team’s other four were shared between James Albert, Jenny Schwager, Jessie Magner and Louisa Anderson.

Connor Parkes and Waldo Botha crossed for two tries each for the One Hit Wonders in that match.

Only one try split Hammertime and Tradies and Ladies at full-time as the Hammertime side prevailed 7-6.

Harry Pattison scored three of their tries and teammates Lidia McCauley, Lachlan Trindall, Tenayah Woodward and Nick Coffey chipped in with one each.

Hayden Bell also scored a hat-trick in that game, and Tradies and Ladies’ other three tries were shared between Gerri Cruckshank, Nathan Nott and Natalia McInnes.

Narrabri Touch president Mereka Gleeson told The Courier that round one ran smoothly and that all of the players were happy to get back on the field following an off-season that was probably the perfect duration.