A promising Group 4 Rugby League season has come to an end for the Boggabri Kangaroos as the club lost the first and reserve grade minor semi-final fixtures in Werris Creek on Sunday.
The Kangaroos travelled to David Taylor Oval, where they were beaten 32-22 by the hosts in the main game, which they needed to win to stay alive and compete in the preliminary final.
The Boggabri men were also downed 22-20 in reserve grade by the Dungowan Cowboys.
Despite crashing out of the season two games short of the grand final, the 2025 campaign will be remembered as a success for the Kangaroos, given it is the first year that their reserve grade side has qualified for the first division finals series.
It was also a second consecutive finals series appearance for the first grade team.
In both grades, Boggabri were in the contests until the very end on Sunday.
They were winning 20-4 at half-time in reserve grade after Josh Trindall scored a double inside 20 minutes before Jarod Adams and Will Devine crossed late in the half.
Dungowan’s lone first-half try was scored in between Trindall’s double and looked unlikely to be enough to help get the Cowboys over the line.
However, the third-placed side rallied in the second stanza as they crossed for three tries, two of which they converted, to lock the score up at 20-all with eight minutes remaining.
The score remained even with just one minute left on the clock when the Cowboys attempted an unsuccessful field goal, after which Boggabri were penalised for a marker not being square despite protests that he did not move and had no impact on the play.
Nicholas Syron nailed the kick to make the score 22-20, and Boggabri were unable to get the ball back off the kick-off as Dungowan prevailed.
In first grade, Cody Parry opened the scoring with a seventh-minute try that put Werris Creek ahead before Ash White kicked Boggabri out to a 6-4 lead after Matt Avendano crossed in the 16th minute.
That became 12-4 just five minutes later when Isaiah Adams crossed for a try and White added the extras again, but the Magpies hit back when Tyler Swift claimed his side’s second try in the 26th minute, which Braydon Allen converted, and Parry put them ahead again with his second of the day in the 34th minute.
Parry’s second made the score 14-12 in Werris Creek’s favour, but Boggabri went into half-time with a 16-14 lead after Esava Nadalo went over three minutes out from the break.
The hosts struck first in the second stanza when Isaah Millgate crossed seven minutes after play restarted, and Joash Boney scored with 15 minutes remaining in the contest.
Nash Porter converted both of those tries to make the score 26-16, but Boggabri refused to give up and hit back in the 70th minute with a try through Nick Millar, which White converted to make it 26-22.
Boggabri pushed hard to find an equalising try to give themselves a chance to kick for victory, but a final-minute Werris Creek try saw Porter kick them out to a 32-22 victory.
Moree will host the 2025 grand final day at Boughton Oval after beating Gunnedah 30-26 at that venue on Saturday. Former Narrabri Blues gun Sam Sadler bagged a double in that win for Moree.
Gunnedah gave the Boars a fright when Sunia Naruma crossed in the 76th minute, but the minor premiers held on to earn the home grand final on Saturday, September 6.
Gunnedah will host the preliminary finals at Kitchener Park this Saturday, which will see them challenge Werris Creek in the first grade game.
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