Just when everyone was back in Group 11 mode after a massive first round we all had to deal with a general bye.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But rugby league returns to our area this weekend and even though it is just round two there is plenty to play for.
Macquarie and Parkes have high hopes and those two will do battle in what shapes as the match of the round at Caltex Park while there will also be plenty of eyes on No. 1 Oval to see how Westside reacts after its headline-stealing 102-0 loss to Dubbo CYMS.
But before all of Sunday’s action, the Western Rams do battle with Monaro in both League Tag and under 23s at the Country Championships.
COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Round one, Saturday
WESTERN RAMS v MONARO at Sid Kallas Oval, Cowra
LEAGUE TAG
WESTERN: 1 Sophie Stammers (Blayney Bears), 2 Heidi Regan (Cargo Blue Heelers), 3 Rebecca Ford (Orange Hawks), 4 Claire Woolmington (Bathurst Panthers), 5 Amy Hotham (Bathurst Panthers), 6 Michelle Somers (Bathurst St Pat’s), 7 Jess Hotham (Bathurst Panthers), 8 Demi Wilson (Dubbo CYMS), 9 Ella-J Harris (Orange Hawks), 10 Monique Christie-Johnson (Bathurst Panthers), 11 Emma Gallagher (Dunedoo Swans), 12 Lisa Travis (Cobar Roosters), 13 Chrissie West (Lithgow Workies), 14 Lauren Sullivan (Dunedoo Swans).
MONARO: 1 Madison Parbury (Group 16), 2 Elana Sliwinski (Canberra Raiders Cup), 3 Rachel Grocott (George Tooke Shield), 4 Emma James (George Tooke Shield), 5 Jessica Goss (Canberra Raiders Cup), 6 Grace Smith (George Tooke Shield), 7 Jess O’Rourke (Canberra Raiders Cup), 8 Alana Franks (Canberra Raiders Cup), 9 Cassandra Fisher (George Tooke Shield), 10 Eilish Winbank (Canberra Raiders Cup), 11 Liana Wylie (Canberra Raiders Cup), 13 Michaela Leonard (Canberra Raiders Cup); Bench: 14. Brittany Thomas (George Tooke Shield), 15 Ali Ringland (Group 16), 16 Madelyne Czubaca (Group 16).
UNDER 23s
WESTERN: 1 Sam Dwyer (Parkes Spacemen), 2 Mitch Squire (Bathurst St Pat’s), 3 Jackson Brien (Oberon Tigers), 4 Jesse Wighton (Forbes Magpies), 5 Fletcher Strong (Parkes Spacemen), 6 Alex Bonham (Dubbo CYMS), 7 Chad Porter (Parkes Spacemen), 8 Lee Price (Dubbo CYMS), 9 Wade Kavanagh (Dubbo CYMS), 10 Lincoln Kavanagh (Dubbo CYMS), 11 Rakai Tuheke (Blayney Bears), 12 Ben Maguire (Forbes Magpies), 13 Jake Betts (Bathurst Panthers); 14 Mitch Burke (Forbes Magpies), 15 Jed Betts (Bathurst Panthers), 16 Norman Fuiava (Nyngan Tigers), 17 Lochie Hobby (Blayney Bears), 18 Michael Ingwerson (Oberon Tigers).
MONARO: 1 Jake Wheeler (Queanbeyan United), 2 Jed Simbikin (Queanbeyan Kangaroos), 3 Ryley Thomas (West Belconnen Warriors), 4 Cleve McGhie (Woden Valley Rams), 5 Tolokana Aroha-Tuinauvai (Queanbeyan Roos), 6 Ryan McQueen (West Belconnen Warriors), 7 Jack Hickson (Woden Valley Rams), 8 Brett Solomen (Tuggeranong Bushrangers), 9 Tyson Greenwood (Goulburn Workers), 10 Mitch Shaw (West Belconnen Warriors), 11 Nukurua Ngere (Queanbeyan Kangaroos), 12 Tori Freeman (West Belconnen Warriors), 13 Josh Baker (Queanbeyan United); Bench: 14 Kruz Topou (Yass Magpies), 15 Luke Ingram (Bombala Blue Heelers), 16 Brad Prior (Woden Valley Rams), 17 Luke Skidmore (Gungahlin Bulls), 20 Rourke O’Sullivan (Gungahlin Bulls).
GROUP 11
Round two, Sunday
DUBBO MACQUARIE v PARKES SPACEMEN
Caltex Park, Dubbo
MACQUARIE: 1 Blaize Fuller, 2 Ash Widders, 3 Luke Gale, 4 Quentin Dickinson, 5 Bradley Spencer, 6 Kurt Fuller, 7 Willie Wright, 8 Jayden Merritt, 9 Matt Lane, 10 Jade Hooper, 11 Wade Peachey, 12 Eroni Turaga, 24 Zac Rennick, 14 Jack Kelly, 15 Thomas Magann, 16 John Ciappara, 17 Kepu Nathan. Coaches: Zac Rennick and Steve McLellan.
PARKES: 1 Sam Dwyer, 2 Brendon Paige, 3 Dennis Moran, 4 Luke Clarke, 5 Fletcher Strong, 6 Joey Dwyer, 7 Chad Porter, 8 Peter Newell, 9 Joss Cleal, 10 Epi Sadrodo, 11 Jack Medlyn, 12 Jay Slavin, 13 Jake Porter, 14 James Woods, 15 Alex Prout, 16 Ben Nash, 17 Brandan Tago. Captain-coach: Dennis Moran
Previews: Macquarie – Raiders not concerned about young gun Gale handling the pressure, Parkes – Key trio to back up for Spacemen, League Tag – Spacecats are mates on and off the field
DUBBO WESTSIDE v FORBES MAGPIES
No. 1 Oval, Dubbo
WESTSIDE: 1 Warren Peachey, 2 Dominic Duncan, 3 Carl Ralph, 4 Nathan Ryan, 5 Craig McKellar, 6 Steve Riley, 7 Peter Boon, 8 Travis Hill, 9 Dylan Coe, 10 Jayden Harvey, 16 Peter Miller, 12 Brayden Peachey, 13 Colt Tairua, 14 Robert Peckham, 15 Paul Sloane. Captain-coach: Colt Tairua
FORBES: 1 Christopher Kirby, 2 Liam Whitfield, 3 Jesse Wighton, 4 Jared Tyack, 5 Joseph Coe, 6 Mitchell Burke, 7 Matthew Roylance, 8 Ben Robinson, 9 Ethan Gaffney, 10 Zac Merritt, 11 Ben Maguire, 12 Traie Merritt, 13 Jake Grace, 14 Todd Grace, 15 Mitch Davis, 16 Andrew Grogan, 17 Ben Gunn. Captain-coach: Jake Grace
Previews: Westside – Tairua rings the changes for Forbes match, Forbes – Grace refuses to take Rabbbitohs lightly
WELLINGTON COWBOYS v NYNGAN TIGERS
Kennard Park, Wellington
WELLINGTON: 1 Norm West, 2 Hayden Sutherland, 3 Aidan Ryan, 4 Brian Baxter, 5 Nathan Stewart, 6 Richard Peckham, 7 William Lousick, 8 Jake Tolhurst, 9 Brogan Black, 10 Ben McGregor, 11 Steven Matherson, 12 Lewis Stanley, 13 Nathan Smith, 14 Ben Bruce, 15 Jordan Stanley, 16 Kenneth Everson, 17 Keiran Brien, 18 Mac Dutfield, 19 Greg Peckham, 20 Brad McCarroll. Captain-coach: Stewart Mills
NYNGAN: 1 Sam Simmonds, 2 Jone Kerevi, 3 Jone Yacadrau, 4 Robert Gudgeon, 5 Mitch Rixon, 6 Brett Howard, 7 Jacob Neill, 8 Todd Rope, 9 Reece Goldsmith, 10 Adi Spicer, 11 Norman Fuiava, 12 Stewart Mills, 13 Benny Cokanasgia, 14 James Fisk, 15 Gerald Mackey, 16 Clayton Couley, 17 Loma Atuau. Captain-coach: Stewart Mills
Preview: Key trio to start for Cowboys
NARROMINE JETS v DUBBO CYMS
Cale Oval, Narromine
NARROMINE: 1 Janus Walford, 2 Mick Louie, 3 Paul Widders, 4 EJ Fernando, 5 DJ Gordon, 6 Daryl Cubby, 7 Corey Cox, 8 Alex Sambrook, 9 Darryl Kemp, 10 Ryan Richardson, 11 Jordan Richardson, 12 Dane Cox, 13 Tim Walker, 14 Lachlan Reid, 15 Ben Portors. Coach: Luke Thompson
CYMS: 1 Kieran Cubby-Shipp, 2 Hayden Howell, 3 Jyie Chapman, 4 Maika Serulevu, 5 Bayden Searle, 6 Brad Pickering, 7 Tom Yeo, 8 Jarryn Powyer, 9 Luke Jenkins, 10 Shaquille Gordon, 11 Alex Ronayne, 12 Ben Marlin, 13 Hamish Astill. Coach: Tim Ryan