2020 Christie and Hood Castlereagh League begins with Panthers win over Cobar

The games were well-attended, with the crowd seeming eager to have rugby league back up and running and the sense of normalcy that comes with it. Getting a park directly on the oval was impossible come game time with locals and visitors alike piling in early to watch some long awaited sport getting back underway in town.

The youth league was a tight affair with Gilgandra just edging out Cobar with 16-12 win. The league tag was a nail biter with Shian Chatfield slotting a late field goal to put the Pinkies up 25-24. The first grade had plenty of tries with the Panthers toppling Cobar 40-30.

After taking an early lead, Cobar collapsed in the back end of the first half and couldn’t quite get the game back in hand. A late comeback looked to be on the cards with Cobar stringing together some strong possessions. A few missed conversions earlier in the game however, kept the visitors from posing a significant threat, keeping them at a two try deficit in the final 10 minutes of the game. A near perfect conversion record from Brandon Hammond also helped keep the visitors at bay.