The Cobar Roosterettes League Tag team put on a good show to finish as runners-up at the 2019 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League Knockout competition on Saturday at Baradine.
Roosterettes’ coach Bianka Jacobson said it was a great effort from her relatively new side who were defending the title they won at last year’s Castlereagh preseason knockout.
The Cobar girls started the day off with a confidence building 4-0 win in the first round against Gilgandra (the team who knocked them out of the semi finals last season).
Brennah Aumua was responsible for Cobar’s try late in the match.
Brianna Watson, who has returned to the team this year, opened the scoring early in their second game against Gulgong with a try next to the posts. Her subsequent conversion gave Cobar a 6-0 lead.
Shortly after half time Gulgong levelled the scores with a converted try before Madasan Taylor put the Roosterettes back in front with a try she scored after making a 60m break.
With a minute left to play Gulgong again locked up the score.
The conversion attempt was waved away and the match finished in a 10-all draw.
With a win and a draw, the Cobar side finished at the top of Pool B and progressed to the grand final against Pool A winners Coonabarabran, who had accounted for Baradine, Binnaway and Coonamble.
Coonabarabran led 6-0 at half time in the grand final and with two more second half tries, including a converted try in the dying seconds of the game, Coonabarabran finished as 16-0 winners.
Jacobson said Saturday’s hit out was a good test for the team, which only contained four players from last season.
She was pleased to welcome Watson, the Roosterettes’ 2017 grand final MVP, back to the side after a year’s absence and is excited to have Madasan Taylor, who played in the Far West Academy of Sport and Group 11 League Tag sides last year, join them to play fullback.
“She’s quick, she’s got vision, the ability to read play and is football minded,” Jacobson said of Taylor.
The Cobar Under 18s Rugby League Team also competed in the Youth League knockout at Baradine on Saturday.
The young Roosters narrowly lost their opening game 10-6 to the Coonabarabran Unicorns, and then went down 18-14 to Baradine in their second match. Coonamble finished with two wins from their two games to claim the knockout winners’ title.
