The Jets made the long trek to Cobar and as usual struggled to field full teams last weekend.
First Grade got off to a bad start when the home side scored a try in the second minute of the game, however four minutes later Blake Richardson found a gap and set Mitch Cale up to score under the posts.
Cobar then scored off a forward pass and followed it up minutes later with another try, their mobile backs doing much of the damage.
Trailing 16 to six, Mitch Cale picked up his second try when he broke through heavy traffic from five metres out to score.
Then with two minutes to go in the first half, Chad Jacobson levelled the scores when he pounced on a loose ball to score between the posts. The half time score was 16 all and the Jets were in the game.
In the second half the home side’s big, powerful and fast Fijian players then started to exploit any gaps, scoring three tries in succession.
The Jets answered with eight minutes to go when Mitch Cale superbly set up Jordan Richardson to score out wide.
The Jets tried to stay in touch but the superior speed and size of the Cobar players took its toll and the Roosters scored two more tries before full time. Chad Jacobson converted three from four tries for a final score of 44 to 20 to the home side.
Reserve Grade struggled to field a regular side and some players were forced to play out of position. Cobar took an early lead in the fifth minute when they were awarded a try despite a double movement, and they followed this with a second try three minutes later.
Halfway through the first half Mick Walsh weaved his way through traffic, crossed the line out wide and promoted the ball to between the posts.
Cobar were getting continued second phase plays and soon set up two more tries. With two minutes left in the half, Mick Walsh kicked through and regathered the ball to pass to Murray Woolfe in support.
Joe Mikulic converted. Woolfe’s try brought the halftime score to 22 to 10.
The makeshift team were playing good football but they just fell off tackles at the wrong time and the tricolours crossed twice more in the first 17 minutes.
The Jets played strongly in the dying 10 minutes but could not cross the line until a try to Jye Carter in the last minute of the game saw the home side win 32 to 16. Carter converted his own try.
The Under-18 side must be counting the days until the end of the season, as again a handful of players made the long trip to Cobar, no doubt anticipating yet another hiding.
Starting the match with only 10 players, some already on the injured list, some under 16 players, and players weary from a function the night before, it
wasn’t long before the home side with a host of replacements, started to rack up the score. In the first half they ran in four tries.
Ben Peters was taken from the field and conveyed to hospital with a bruised sternum and bruised heart muscle after a bad tackle, and the Jets continued with only nine players.
It was only a matter of how many tries Cobar could score in the second half, and they crossed the line for seven unanswered tries. The final score was 56 to nil.
To concede only eleven tries in the circumstances is a credit to the players who took to the field, and they can hold their heads high in front of those that have let them down this season by not playing.
This weekend the Jets take on Dubbo CYMS at home. The game will be played tomorrow with the first game at 1pm.
