Saturday in Gilgandra. It’s just the club’s second year playing in the Castlereagh competition. The boys are pictured with coaching staff Dean McLeod, Darrel ‘Dasha’ Warren and Kyle Loughran at their medal presentation ceremony following their thrilling 30-28 win over the Coonamble Bears. ▪ Photo contrinuted
The Cobar Roosters created club history winning the 2019 Castlereagh Youth League grand final on Saturday.
The Roosters defeated the Coonamble Bears 30-28 in a nail-biting thriller to win the club’s first Castlereagh League title after they joined the competition last year.
It was always going to be a close game but the Roosters went into Saturday’s grand final as narrow favourites having beaten the Bears in two out of their three encounters this season, the most recent being a 30-20 win in the major semi final a fortnight ago.
The young Roosters had to battle hard before they got to raise the Premiers Shield at the end of Saturday’s grand final match, with the scores being locked at 12-all at half time.
Tyson Brilley opened the scoring early in Saturday’s grand final game played at Gilgandra with Braith Good’s successful conversion giving the Roosters an early 6-0 lead.
Ten minutes into the match Coonamble leveled with their own converted try and then in quick time the Bears had run in another to take a 12-6 lead.
Five minutes before half time Johnny Best crossed for Cobar and Good’s conversion levelled up the score to 12-all.
The Roosters fired up after the break and they shot out to a 24-12 lead after Best and Haymish McLeod ran in tries for Cobar which were both converted by Lochlan Ford.
The Bears clawed their way back to score and make it 24-22, with the final hectic minutes seeing both sides scoring tries.
McLeod’s second try eight minutes before full time and Ford’s successful conversion had the Roosters ahead 30-22.
The Bears however hadn’t given up and, when they crossed for a converted try with just two minutes left on the clock, the Cobar crowd of supporters had almost chewed their fingernails down to the quicks.
Coonamble was on the attack but missed their last opportunity to score when they lost possession in the final minute, and the Roosters held out to win by a two point margin.
Cobar’s lock, Johnny Best was named as the Player of the Grand Final, and Coonamble’s five-eight, Liam Fernando, was judged to be the Castlereagh League Youth League Player of the Year.
