Sport
10 May, 2024
Panthers implode against ‘Roos!
The Ahrens Gilgandra Panthers first-grade side did everything that they possibly could to ensure that the Coolah Kangaroos came away with a solid win in their first competition game.
The Ahrens Gilgandra Panthers first-grade side did everything that they possibly could to ensure that the Coolah Kangaroos came away with a solid win in their first competition game in the Christie and Hood Castlereagh League since 2017. Playing at Coolah’s Bowen Oval in the opening round of the 2024 competition, Gilgandra’s performance was not one to savor as they committed error after error which, while not taking anything away from Coolah’s 40-points to six victories, the Panthers’ fumbling effort aided and abetted the home side’s dominant and deserved win.
With ball security seemingly non-existent as far as the Panthers were concerned, the ‘Roos had 18 points on the board at the half-time break, but Gilgandra supporters were still confident that their side was in the match if they could cut down their error rate. Unfortunately, that confidence was ill-placed as the Panthers' first-half performance was mirrored in the second half as the wheels well and truly fell off.
Compounding Gilgandra’s horrific error count was their lack of imagination in attack, with any sort of Panther backline movement being a very rare event throughout the match. Rather than try to go around the brick wall that was the Coolah pack, the Panthers seemed determined to barge into it with the result of that contest never being in doubt; the brick wall being the clear winner!
The full-time siren could not come soon enough for the visitors with the final score (40-6) being reflective of the gap between the two sides on the day. Gilgandra’s effort is not in question as the players dug in all day, being best served by Blake Frost and Isaac Frost in the forwards and Tyler Bamblett at full back, but overall, it was a performance that is best put behind them with the big test now being how they will regroup and prepare for the clash against the Narromine Jets this Saturday in Narromine.
On a more positive note, for the Gilgandra club the Pink Panthers, while not winning their game against one of the perennial benchmark teams in the Castlereagh competition, the Dunedoo Swannettes, most certainly made last year’s grand finalists work for their competition points. After not winning a game in 2023, the Pink Panthers showed great improvement on the field, with the final score of 18-10 giving an indication that a win is not too far off.
They will need to carry that good form into their match against the reigning premiers, the Narromine Jets, this Saturday. A good Panther presence is expected to watch the action at Narromine.
