‘Super proud’ Creighton cherishes a memorable day as his minor premiers end the regular season on a high

Narrabri Rugby Club’s women’s tens team had secured the Central North Rugby Union minor premiership a month prior to the final round of the 2024 campaign on Saturday, and they managed to finish the regular season on a massive high as they produced a comeback victory against Tamworth Pirates at Dangar Park.

The Blue Boars trailed 12-10 at the half-time break in the round 18 clash but rallied in the final two terms and piled on 29 unanswered points to win the match 39-12.

The team’s electric try-scoring trio of Shaine Maunder, Cassidy Morley and Amelie Cobb-Johnson all scored two tries and skipper Bella Cruickshank crossed for one, while Morley kicked two conversions.

That saw Maunder end the season as the leading try-scorer across the entire competition with 19 as she finished two clear of Cobb-Johnson, who went over 17 times in her remarkable debut season. Morley, fellow Narrabri gun Holly Ford (who plays for Gunnedah in 2024), and Pirates’ Shae Partridge ended up equal third on 16 tries.

It was Maunder who crossed for the first try of the contest before Partridge hit back just one minute out from the quarter-time break to lock the score up at 5-all.

Morley struck first for Narrabri in the second term with a try that put the Blue Boars ahead 10-5, but Tamworth hit back again as Lauren Daye crossed two minutes from half-time and Tomi Gavin converted to make the score 12-10 at the main break.

The hosts clicked into gear in the third quarter as Cobb-Johnson got Narrabri back in front before Morley and Cruickshank also went over. Morley converted one of those tries as Narrabri went into the final break ahead 27-12.

Narrabri scored two more tries in the fourth quarter as Maunder and Cobb-Johnson both crossed for their second of the day, and Morley kicked her second conversion to make the final score 39-12 to Narrabri.

Narrabri’s coach Mitchell Creighton said he was impressed with what his side produced in the second half of the brilliant comeback victory.

“We were real good once again, and again our run home in the second half was where we were really strong,” he said.

“First quarter was okay, the second quarter was not so good, but the third and fourth quarters saw the girls kick into a new gear and run home with it.

“There was a lot of backing up and some real good support play. I’d say we probably weren’t as good this week at running the ball, but we just supported well.

“It was a massive defensive effort from our forwards too.”

It was an extra special day for the Blue Boars’ coach as the side lined up in specially-designed jerseys with pink strips in memory of Creighton’s late mother Karen, who lost her battle with stomach cancer last year.

“It was also a fundraiser for the GI Cancer Institute,” Creighton said.

“We presented the jerseys to the girls in the shed and gave a little speech for each player about why they belong in the team-type thing.

“It was a real special day. I had my brother (Blake) there, and my wife (Lisa) presented the jerseys to the girls with me too.

“We auctioned one of the jerseys off during the night.”

Creighton said that he was enjoying his first campaign as the Blue Boars’ women’s team coach after taking over from Mick Coffey and Peta Cox earlier this year, and he was proud of what they have achieved so far in 2024, in particular the second straight minor premiership.

“I’m super proud of this group of girls,” Creighton said.

“They turn up and get the job done and get on with it. They turn up every game.

“We got beaten twice and they were both close. They never say die. We went to Barraba with an understaffed team and lost in the dying minutes, which was the same as at Gunnedah at the start of the season. It was also an understaffed team that day.

“We were missing some experience in both of those games, and I was also actually away for both of them, and from what I head, the way we played in both games just wasn’t who we are as a team.

“But to be quite honest, it’s okay to lose one every now and then. That’s sport.

“I’m particularly impressed with our new girls. They turned up at the start of the year not knowing how to play rugby and they’ve ripped in and got it done.”

The Blue Boars finished the season with a for and against difference of 335, which was 303 greater than that of the Pirates, who were next best with 32. Creighton said that was a credit to the side’s explosive attack and their dedication to consistently improving their defence all season.

Saturday’s win was the Blue Boars’ 10th of the season from 12 games and saw them move to 78 points as they finished 13 points ahead of the second-placed Gunnedah Red Devils. Gunnedah had the bye in round 18, and Pirates’ loss saw the Red Devils clinch a major semi-final showdown against the Blue Boars this Saturday.

It will be played at Weebolla Oval as Moree Bulls won the first grade minor premiership, and the winner of that game will go through to the decider on August 31.

The minor semi-final will be played on Sunday, with Tamworth Pirates to host the fourth-placed Barraba Rams. The loser of that contest will be eliminated from the competition, and the winner will play the loser of the preliminary final.