Finals fever at Cooma Oval

New Narrabri Touch season two champions will be crowned this year after the 2023 winners of the men’s and women’s A-grade competitions were eliminated after being beaten in minor semi-finals on Monday.

The three-week finals series got underway at Cooma Oval where the men’s A-grade defending champions Lations went down 5-4 against Gee Bangers, while the women’s A-grade defending champions Jarfumigation Redbacks also lost 5-4 to Specialised Civil.

Gee Bangers’ Miles Campbell and Shane Rily both bagged doubles in the men’s match and their team’s other try was scored by Hayden Bell, while Chris Clark crossed twice for Lations and teammates Josh Trindall and Declan Rooney went over once each.

In the ladies’ match, Nat McInnes secured a double for Specialised Civil and their other three tries were claimed by Clare Larkin, Rachael Williams and Cassidy Staines, while Redbacks’ Shona McFarland scored a hat-trick for her side and Leesa Small scored their other try.

Those two winning fourth-placed teams have now progressed to the preliminary finals, which will be played on Monday, November 25, at Cooma Oval.

Joining them will be Win Or Booze in the A-grade men’s competition and Many’s Contractors in the A-grade ladies’ competition after those two sides lost their major semi-finals on Monday.

Grumley Builders will return to the A-grade men’s grand final for the sixth season in a row and will get the chance to recapture the title after they went down 8-6 against Lations last year to end a run of fourth straight premierships.

They cruised past Win Or Booze 8-1 in Monday’s major semi-final as Jacob Booby claimed a hat-trick and his teammates Nick Anderson, Hamish Nolan, Nick Coffey, Tom Nolan and Linton Grumley all scored a try each.

Keegan Richardson scored Win Or Booze’s lone try.

The women’s A-grade major semi-final was also won in convincing fashion as Twisted Blisters downed Many’s Contractors 7-1 to return to the big dance.

Amelie Johnson scored a hat-trick for the 2023 finalists and the side’s other four tries were shared between Matilda Currey, Taylor and Georgia Horne and Alisha Conomos.

Alex Bennett went over for Many’s Contractors’ try.

The B-grade men’s major semi-final was won by The Pelicans as they beat Cougars 6-4.

Frazer Penberthy starred with a hat-trick for The Pelicans while Fletcher Whan bagged a double and Ollie Ford crossed once.

Rowan Keeler scored two of Cougars’ tries and the other two went to Kurt Wallace and Andrew Wallace.

Cougars had finished the graded rounds unbeaten and they will get a second chance at winning their way through to the grand final when they take on the DTA Lumberjacks in the preliminary final this Monday after the Lumberjacks downed Ballbusters 8-4 in the minor semi-final.

Todd Farrer scored three of the DTA Lumberjacks’ tries, Clayton Pursche went over twice and Scott Purcell, Cooper Brayshaw and Chase Magner all crossed once.

Ballbusters’ four tries were shared between Paul Bushby, Brett Allison, Connor Parkes and Colin Parkes.

The B-grade ladies’ major semi-final was also won by the second-placed side as the Golfie Gobblers edged out Hounddogs 2-1.

Emily Flood and Natasha Nott scored a try each for the Gobblers and Carly Baxter went in for Hounddogs’ try.

The Hounddogs will be joined in the preliminary final by Touch n Go after they beat CBRE 4-1 in the minor semi-final.

Brooke Wright bagged a double for Touch n Go and the side’s other two tries were shared between Caitlin Evans and Lily McCahon, while the CBRE lone try was scored by Ashtine Nott.