Community & Business
26 June, 2026
Bulls Bogged, Flamin’ Galahs soar
The Gulargambone Flamin' Galahs overpowered Nyngan 40-5 in Ahrens Cup Tri Tag action last weekend.
The Pink Parrot
After much-needed rain swept across the district in recent weeks, Gulargambone Sportsground resembled more of a waterpark than a rugby field on Saturday morning, with 20mm of rain falling overnight.
Despite the challenging conditions, ground curator Col Jarrett worked tirelessly to ensure the ground remained open and play could go ahead.
The Flamin’ Galahs entered the Western Plains Rugby Union Ahrens Cup Tri Tag contest against the Nyngan Bull Ladies, having not played a competitive match for five weeks.
Reports suggested the Nyngan side had made significant improvements this season and would provide a stern test.
After weeks of training and anticipation, the Galahs were eager to return to the paddock.
With waterlogged conditions expected, coach King emphasised throughout the week that defence and ball security would be the keys to success.
Those warnings were quickly put to the test.
Only minutes into the match, handling errors plagued the Flamin’ Galahs, allowing Nyngan to launch an early assault on the home side's line. However, the Galahs' defence - destined to become the hallmark of their performance - stood firm and repelled repeated attacks.
Just as the Galahs appeared to be working their way out of trouble from deep inside their own territory, another lapse in ball security proved costly.
A loose pass was pounced on by the alert Nyngan defence, with the Nyngan ladies diving over for the opening try.
In the blink of an eye, Nyngan had claimed a five-nil lead after just three minutes, putting the Flamin’ Galahs on the back foot early in difficult conditions.
To their credit, the Flamin’ Galahs refused to panic after conceding the early try. Players were reminded to trust their preparation, reset, and stick to the game plan. As it turned out, those opening points would be the only score Nyngan managed for the remainder of the match.
The Galahs responded superbly in the difficult conditions, gradually turning the momentum in their favour.
Strong carries from forwards Chels Broom and Mak Harland laid an excellent platform, while captain Paige Wilson repeatedly challenged the Nyngan defence with her incisive running game.
The pressure eventually told. Spotting a gap close to the try line, crafty fly-half Heidi Ferguson backed her instincts, darting through the defence to score and level the match at 5-all. The successful conversion edged the Galahs in front 7-5.
Halfback Sarah Chandler was producing one of her best performances of the season, making her presence felt in both attack and defence. Inside centre Grace Lummis was, as always, heavily involved across the park, while the ever-improving Ash Carlow was beginning to find her rhythm on the outside.
With just four minutes remaining in the first half, Nyngan looked threatening and was pressing hard inside Galah's territory. However, a moment of brilliance from Wilson swung the match decisively.
Fielding a kick on her own try line, the captain immediately recognised a gap in the defensive line. Showing outstanding awareness and pace, she sliced through the Nyngan defence before racing the length of the field to score a remarkable individual try.
The conversion was successful, giving the Flamin’ Galahs a valuable buffer heading into the break and a well-earned 14-5 lead at half-time.
The second half was as close to perfect as the conditions would allow, with the Flamin’ Galahs producing a disciplined and determined display that ultimately overwhelmed their opponents.
Defence remained the cornerstone of the Galahs' performance. Time and again, they repelled Nyngan's advances, forcing errors and capitalising on signs of fatigue that began to creep into the visitors' game.
As ball security became an increasing issue for the Nyngan ladies, the Galahs' forwards took full advantage through the strong running and relentless tagging efforts of Alanna Clark, Jess Fleming, Chels Broom, Kelsey Hutchison and Abigail Phillips.
Lucy Irish was a welcome addition on her return from overseas, slotting seamlessly back into the pivotal rover role.
On the edges, Piper Hancock, Ella Wykes, Lara Duff and Airlie Edmed worked tirelessly throughout the contest, shutting down Nyngan's outside attacking options and ensuring the visitors struggled to generate any momentum.
The second half was barely a minute old when captain Paige Wilson struck again. In a near carbon copy of her first try, Wilson fielded a clearing kick around her 40-metre line, spotted space in the defensive line and exploded through a gap.
Using her blistering pace, she raced 60 metres to score beneath the posts. The successful conversion extended the Galahs' lead to 21-5.
Ten minutes into the half came what was undoubtedly the try of the match.
Sarah Chandler reacted quickest to a loose ball spilled by two Nyngan defenders and surged 40 metres downfield before being tagged. Mak Harland showed tremendous support play, following the break and arriving at the rover to ensure a rapid play-the-ball.
With the Nyngan defence still scrambling to get onside, the alert Heidi Ferguson stepped into scrum-half and quickly shifted the ball left to Ash Carlow. Backing up perfectly, Carlow burst through the defensive line and sprinted 40 metres to score a magnificent team try. The conversion was successful, pushing the score out to 28-5.
By this stage, the Flamin’ Galahs had complete control of the contest. Their relentless defence and fitness were taking a heavy toll on the Nyngan side, which struggled to match the intensity being maintained by the home team.
In the 26th minute, Kayla Beaton added her name to the scoresheet with a brilliant individual effort. Spotting the blindside defence asleep, Beaton darted through from 60 metres out, evaded the ruck defenders and stepped past the fullback before racing away to score a superb solo try. The Galahs' lead stretched to 33-5.
The final word fittingly belonged to Captain Paige Wilson. Following sustained pressure and a series of quick play-the-balls around the ruck, Wilson pierced a gap in the tiring Nyngan defence and sprinted 50 metres to complete a deserved hat-trick. It capped a remarkable individual performance, with Wilson's pace, footwork and game awareness proving a constant threat throughout the afternoon.
The conversion was successful, bringing the final score to 40-5 in favour of the Flamin’ Galahs.
Match points were awarded as follows: Three points: Paige Wilson, two points: Sarah Chandler, one point: Grace Lummis and Lucy Irish. Players' player was Heidi Ferguson
Attention now turns to this Saturday's clash against the Walgett Ewes in Walgett. Historically, Walgett has not been a happy hunting ground for the Flamin’ Galahs, but after such an impressive performance, there is a growing belief within the squad that this group may be ready to rewrite history in the weeks ahead.
Galahs defeated, but brave in the mud
The Gulargambone Galahs welcomed 23 players onto the field for their annual Barney’s Old Boys Day on Saturday, June 20, but difficult conditions and a determined Nyngan Bogan Bulls outfit proved a tough challenge as the visitors claimed a 31-7 victory.
After almost an inch of rain fell on Gulargambone the day before, the home ground was a muddy and waterlogged battlefield. The slippery conditions made handling difficult and turned the contest into a physical arm wrestle from the outset.
Leading into the match, Galahs coach Mark acknowledged the challenge ahead but expressed confidence in his side’s ability to rise to the occasion.
From the opening kick-off, Nyngan applied plenty of pressure and quickly established field position deep inside Galahs territory.
Limited attacking opportunities for the home side meant much of the early play was spent defending their own line.
With the wet conditions making expansive rugby difficult, the match developed into a slogging contest featuring numerous scrums and fierce battles for possession.
After sustained pressure, the Bulls eventually crossed for the opening try within the first five minutes and converted to take a 7-0 lead.
Again, Nyngan controlled territory and possession, repeatedly forcing the Galahs to defend. Strong defensive efforts from James Foran and Nick Tancred helped repel several attacking raids, while powerful carries from Isaac Grimshaw and Mitch Graham attempted to swing momentum back towards the home side.
Denzel Ryan was also outstanding in defence, producing a number of crucial tackles as the Galahs fought to stay in the contest.
Despite the determined resistance, Nyngan’s territorial advantage eventually paid off, with the visitors adding two more tries before the break to establish a 19-0 lead at half-time.
The half-time message from the Galahs coaching staff focused on improving territory and building pressure through patience and discipline. However, the second half began much like the first, with possession proving difficult to secure and costly mistakes allowing Nyngan to remain in control.
The Bulls capitalised on another opportunity close to the posts to extend their advantage to 26-0 and appeared to have one hand firmly on the contest.
To their credit, the Galahs refused to go away. Strong kick returns from Jake Peart, Darcy Neeves, and the Walker brothers consistently put Nyngan under pressure and provided some much-needed attacking spark.
The breakthrough finally arrived when the Galahs shifted the ball quickly through the backline, creating space out wide for Darcy Neeves to burst clear and race away for the side’s lone try. The successful conversion reduced the margin to 26-7 and gave the home crowd something to cheer about.
Nyngan would have the final say, crossing once more late in the match to push the final score out to 31-7.
While the result did not go the Galahs’ way, the effort and determination shown in difficult conditions on a special Old Boys Day occasion reflected the strong spirit of the club, with players and supporters coming together to honour the legacy of Barney and the many Galahs who have worn the jersey before them.
Player points went to second-rower Nick Tancred (three points), prop James Foran (two points) and hooker Isaac Grimshaw (one point). Player’s players were James Foran and Nick Tancred.
