Wee Waa fall short in thriller while new ladder leader emerges

Werris Creek are the lone remaining undefeated team in Group 4 Rugby League’s 2025 first grade competition after they registered the only blowout win of the weekend in round six.

In what was an otherwise tightly-contested sixth round, the Magpies cruised to a 42-4 victory on home soil at David Taylor Oval over Kootingal-
Moonbi Roosters on Sunday.

That saw Werris Creek climb into outright first place on the ladder after the Gunnedah Bulldogs had blown a 20-point lead a day earlier.

The Bulldogs entered the weekend undefeated and locked on nine points alongside Werris Creek but suffered their first loss of the year as they went down 24-20 to Boggabri Kangaroos at Jubilee Oval.

The visitors led 16-0 at half-time and were up 20-0 after 51 minutes before the Kangaroos charged home to the win with four converted tries in 21 minutes.

Isaiah Adams scored two of those, including the match-winner in the 76th minute when he charged onto an Andrew Wallace grubber kick and dived over to put his side ahead for the first time in the contest.

The other game played on Saturday saw Moree Boars take down the North Tamworth Bears 22-14 away from home at Jack Woolaston Oval to finish the weekend in third place. The defending champions are now on eight points following four wins in a row since their two losses in the first two rounds.

The Bears entered the weekend ranked third but slipped to fourth after losing for just the second time this season.

Boggabri are locked on seven points with Norths but are ranked fifth on for and against difference, and three points behind them are Dungowan Cowboys after they were victorious for the second time this season on Sunday to move to four points.

The Cowboys travelled out to Cook Oval to challenge Wee Waa, where the Panthers produced a brave effort to push the visitors all the way to full time. Dungowan managed to hold on to prevail 20-16.

Kootingal-Moonbi (two points) and Wee Waa (no points) are still second last and last, respectively, on the eight-team competition ladder.

The Panthers were searching for the first win of their campaign on home soil, but their chances were dealt a blow in the first half when Braydan Welch, Trent Taylor and Toby Taggart tries, along with two Taylor goals, put the Cowboys ahead 16-0 after 26 minutes.

The Panthers hit back twice before half-time as Kurt Wallace scored in the 32nd minute and again in the 39th, the first of which Toby Knight converted. That made the score 16-10 at the half-time break, which became 20-10 in the 65th minute when Welch went in for his second try of the contest.

Wee Waa scored a late try as Wallace completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute, and Jamarl Zarka added the extras off the tee to make it a four-point ball game.

The Panthers had one last set to find a winner for the first time this season but the Cowboys held on the prevail 20-16.

Dungowan won all four grades as they prevailed 38-0 in ladies’ league tag, 62-0 in the under-18, and 54-6 in reserve grade.

There will be no Group 4 games played this weekend due to the June long weekend break, with round seven to be held on Saturday, June 14 when Boggabri welcome Kootingal-Moonbi, Wee Waa host Moree, Norths travel to Gunnedah and Werris Creek travel to Dungowan.