The Cobar Roosters were beaten by the Dunedoo Swans 36-18 in the final round of the 2020 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League competition on Saturday at Dunedoo.
Roosters captain/coach David Watson admitted the Swans were too good on the day saying that his side was “flat and didn’t get off the bus all that well!”
Watson is however looking forward to a different outcome this Sunday when the two sides meet again in a sudden death semi final to be played this time on the Roosters home turf!
In what was an at times fiery encounter, the Swans got away to a flyer in the opening minute of their Round 10 game at Dunedoo on Saturday.
Jarrod Toole touched down out wide for what was to be the first of Dunedoo’s seven tries, a number of them featuring some great ball movement in what was an entertaining display by the home side.
The Roosters were reeling being down 20-6 going into the final minute of the first half, but with a Swans player cooling his heels in the sin bin, Roosters half Jimmy Neyland was able to spot a gap in the Dunedoo defence and scored a try that certainly boosted their prospects when they went to the sheds with the scoreboard reading 20-12.
The second half saw the Swans again score in the opening minute, before the Roosters responded with a converted try to make it a six point margin with Dunedoo leading 24-18, but despite their best efforts that was as close as the visitors were going to get.
The Swans went on to score an impressive
36-18 victory.
In addition to Neyland, Jed Noonan and Marty Turton crossed for tries with Watson converting all three.
Dunedoo’s win on Saturday will give them a psychological advantage going in to the semi final this Sunday against their same opponents.
In the other First Grade game, the Coonamble Bears proved to be too strong for the Binnaway Bombshells, winning that encounter 52-18.
Saturday’s semi finals (1st v 4th placed teams) will be played at Gilgandra while at Cobar on Sunday, 2nd will meet 3rd.
All semi finals are sudden death.
The venue for the 2020 grand final will be determined by the results of the first grade encounters.
If Gilgandra win on Saturday the Panthers will host the grand final (due to the Panthers finishing as minor premiers).
If however Gilgandra loses then the winner of Sunday’s First Grade game (Cobar or Dunedoo) will be awarded the grand final.
