By the ‘Substitute Pink Parrot’
Straight off the bat as the substitute Pink Parrot, I would like to apologise on behalf of our main Pink Parrot for the absence of a report on the women’s tri tag trials. The Pink Parrot has been granted leave from club duties on compassionate grounds seeing he is suffering from PTSD having witnessed another football team from a different code in the same red, blue, and white tricolours as Gular demolish his St George Dragons 60-18 on ANZAC Day.
Rather than coming to Cobar, the parrot was hosting a garage sale which involved selling off all of his St George merchandise and memorabilia.
I’m not sure whether the mindset within the Pink Parrot’s family is now “if we can’t beat em, join em” but it is anticipated he will be back on deck next week. As for the women’s tri tag side, coach Zac Mills informs me that they didn’t quite come away with the chocolates at the Walgett trial (31-35) however, they did came away with a win against Warren on a wet Friday night at McGrane Oval.
Talking to line out specialist Mikaela Gordon, the girls love the scrum and line out of the new format and can’t wait to play this new version of women’s rugby next week. Now onto the men.
Our lads were greeted with a very wet paddock at the western plains capital of desert rugby with Cobar receiving 50mm prior to kick off. It was very pleasing to see a squad of 19 make the trip to Cobar. Gular not quite at full strength with Bailey Wykes out for eight weeks, Archie Haling being away and senior front rowers Will Bowman and Grant Zell were down in the big smog. Talking of our two senior front rowers, sources inform me the reason they were down at the big smog was because they were trialling complimentary spray tans at Bella Bronzed Tanning, Darlinghurst.
With our ladies’ day expected to be our biggest ever yet it’s expected Will and Grant will make a trip down there mid-week leading up to the day to look their absolute best for Gular rugby’s day of days.
Former captain and ladies’ day specialist, Curtis O’Connor was also invited but having always had a natural Bondi Bronze complexion, he politely declined to make the trip down to Bella Bronzed.
Anyway, Gular started well and it wasn’t long before Mitch Graham with the horsepower of a Case Magnum busted through Cobar’s defences to score the game’s opening try. Cobar soon capitalised on a Gular error to level up. Our substitute Parrot, and unfit water boy with a dad bod, had barely got back to the sideline when a great short ball from Zac Ferguson put skipper Micheal Roche over to take the lead again. From there it was the Cobar show who capitalised on several errors and lapses presented to them by Gular and the score ballooned out to a 29-12 lead.
In the last 20 minutes of the match, all those pre-season fitness sessions with Greg King were clearly showing their benefits. Every forward caused havoc in the middle and Cobar seemed to have no answer to this onslaught. It also looked like the backline had clicked into gear defensively, the highlight for mine being debutant Darcy Neeves rag dolling his opposing winger into touch twice in a row. This had the Cobar team, bench, crowd and shire wanting Darcy’s head on a pike making him the most hated man in Cobar.
This started the traditional Gular/Cobar sideline scuffle we have come to expect out there and once again the result out of it being a yellow card to Cobar. With it being 15 players to 14 Gular could smell blood in the water and it wasn’t long before “senior” player Jack Bradley dragged some tired Cobar forwards over the line Not long afterwards fellow “senior” player Zac Mills exploited a gap out wide. With three minutes to go and down 29-22 there was still a chance to tie the game but a knock-on gifted Cobar the chance to kill the game with a kick into touch. Final score Cobar 29 - Gular 22.
Three points and players player went to Mitch Graham. Two points went to Aiden Walker who got better as the game went on. One point was shared between Lachie Ferguson and Steve Owens who worked hard all day in and around the ruck.
Talking to a lot of the players after the game they feel it was a game they should have won and they’re certainly motivated to improve on Saturday’s performance. As a glass half full man, this Substitute Pink Parrot took alot of positives out of the game. Our young backline, particularly the Zac Ferguson, the Walker boys and Jake Peart started to look comfortable as first graders as the second half progressed. For the first time in a few years the Gular club is oozing with point scoring options not just out wide but off the back of our fit mobile forwards. Forwards-wise, while Roche, Graham and Bradley plus Vagg off the bench stood out with ball in hand, the busy work in the middle around the ruck from Lachie Ferguson and Steve Owens as well as Nick Ryan and Jimmy Kildey certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Gular outscored Cobar in the second half and if they can control games in that middle period as good as they did during the last 20 mins then there could be some good results this season. Also congrats to Cobar on getting back on track and being part of this year’s competition.
Being a fly on the wall on the bus, I can report that the first timers on the bus had some very good attempts at learning the team song particularly from the Walker boys and Bailey Wykes who nailed it. I can only assume the Walker boys being the sons of club legend Mark ‘Funky’ Walker have known the song word-for-word since being in nappies with the full version of the Gular team song being Funk’s go to in the shower on a daily basis.
As is traditionally the case with the Cobar trip, the boys dress up and this trip’s theme was any sport but rugby. Best dressed in my eyes went to Zac Mills in fiancée Caitlin King’s equestrian gear and cowboy Jimmy Kildey. Honourable mentions go to the debating team of Nick Ryan, Luke Vagg, and Steve Owens as well as swimmer Dev Bamblett as well as offsider plus and law and order and good off field form enforcer Officer Jhye.
As far as injuries are concerned most of the players came out of the clash unscathed. Dev Bamblett’s niggling shoulder is a slight concern but his natural hydrotherapy routines at Hermidale, Nyngan, Nevertire and Collie post-game will ensure he is in as good shape as he can be for the Walgett clash at Birdtown next week.
With not too many tractors likely to be in action for a while why not come and support this exciting young team and the women’s tri tag at Gular oval next week.
