Narrabri Bluebirds score first win of the season at Collins Park

Narrabri Rugby League Football Club’s ladies league tag side scored their first win of the season on Sunday and their coach Bobby Price is confident there are more positive results on the way this year.

The Bluebirds welcomed Moree to Collins Park in round four of the 2024 Group 4 Rugby League season and they rallied from 10 points down to win 22-16, the comeback completed as Taylah Fogarty brought the home crowd to life with a late winning try.

It was a memorable victory for a side that entered this year having scored just five wins in the previous three seasons before losing their opening three games of the current one.

Moree took the lead six minutes into the game when Shae-Lee Smith scored the opening try. Her teammate Stacey McIntosh then successfully slotted the conversion to make the score 6-0. Narrabri equalised eight minutes later when Lidia McCauley scored the home side’s first try and Mia Gould added the extras with a successful conversion, but McIntosh put Moree back in front in the 18th minute with a try and a conversion to make the score 12-6.

The visitors still led by six points at the half-time break and they extended their lead to 10 points six minutes into the second half as McIntosh crossed for her second try of the day.

The score remained 16-6 until the 37th minute when McCauley went in for her second try to reduce the home side’s deficit to six, and the Bluebirds equalised two minutes later when Krista Zarka scored their third try and Tashanny Clark converted to make the score 16-all going into the final 10 minutes of the 50-minute match.

There was less than two minutes remaining when the Bluebirds had possession of the ball and moved it through several sets of hands before it
arrived to one of the most dangerous players on the field, Fogarty, who took on the defensive line and went through a hole to score the winning four-pointer after evading two Moree defenders.

Clark then added the extras with a successful conversion and there was not enough time for the kick-off as Narrabri celebrated a 22-16 win in front of a proud home crowd.

First-year Narrabri Bluebirds head coach Price, who was an assistant to Kristie Toomey in the 2022 and 2023 seasons before taking over in the role this year, told The Courier that he was proud of his side for earning what was a well-deserved win.

“I’m stoked for the girls because we worked very hard this year across the pre-season,” Price said.

“All I want for the girls is just to stay positive.

“I’ve watched them over the past couple of years, even before I was with Narrabri, struggle a little. But they’ve always had it. The talent is there.

“All the Narrabri teams before us have had the opportunity to win games, it’s always been there. It’s just a matter of bringing it out of them.

“A comeback win like that one gives the group a lot of confidence. It will encourage them and let them know that they can come back when their backs are against the wall.

“They’re a talented group.

“Defensive-wise, I think our girls did really well through the middle part of that first half. They didn’t let Moree get away too far and it was only 12-6 at half-time. The defence has picked up a lot with the girls. It’s something I’ve been working on with them. And not only myself, everyone who has an input with the team.

“I think we did start a bit slow. First five minutes the girls were trying to find their bearings. But we got a few messages out there to the girls to stay positive and to complete our sets, and once we started to do that, we came away with the result.”

Price said he was confident that the Bluebirds’ playing group was capable of competing with the best of teams this year.

“Anything is possible with this group of young ladies,” he said.

Zarka was awarded three Group 4 best and fairest points in Sunday’s win and McCauley earned one, while the two went to Moree’s Shirley-May Swan.

Fellow round four winners Wee Waa were also victorious for the first time this year when they defeated Boggabri 12-6 at Cook Oval on Sunday.

In their first game at Cook Oval since the 2018 campaign, the Wee Waa Panthers led 8-0 at the half-time break after Amanda Smith opened the scoring in the eighth minute and Samantha Marchant doubled their lead in the 23rd minute as they went into half-time ahead 8-0.

Boggabri hit back to make the score 8-6 with just eight minutes remaining when Blye Grover scored a try and Zara Wise converted, but Marchant crossed for her second try in the 48th minute to seal to victory for Wee Waa.

Marchant was awarded three Group 4 best and fairest points while teammate Emily Hartnett earned one, and two went to Boggabri’s Sarah Kemp.

Saturday’s league tag matches saw Dungowan beat Gunnedah 10-0 and Kootingal-Moonbi and Werris Creek draw 18-all.

Narrabri and Wee Waa will both go in search of their second wins of the campaign in round five this weekend when the Bluebirds host Dungowan at Collins Park on Saturday and the Panthers travel to take on Moree at Boughton Oval on Sunday.

Boggabri will also be looking for their second win of the year when they welcome Kootingal-Moonbi to Jubilee Oval on Saturday.