RUGBY LEAGUE
The Jets travelled to chilly Forbes on Saturday August 11 for their final games of the 2012 season.
There was no joy for the first grade side that went down 54 to nil in a mistake-marred game.
With players away on trips, and absent for other reasons, as well as the long list of injured players, it was up to a makeshift team to try to salvage the last game. It wasn’t to be.
There were some good individual efforts, but others treated the game as a bit of a joke.
Forbes had the ball on a string, with chip kicks always bouncing back into the arms of their players, creating gaps for them to score.
Throughout the year Tim Walker has had to continually change his roster of players due to continued absences, mainly due to injury and the Jets just never got on a roll.
Despite this there have been some very good performances from individual players throughout the year.
Reserve grade also started the match with a makeshift team, but put first points on the board 15 minutes into the game after Curtis Orcher scored out wide after good lead-up work by the backs.
In the ensuing 10 minutes Forbes ran in two tries but the Jets knuckled down and played tight football.
With two minutes to go in the first half the Jets were awarded a penalty and after some good lead-up work by the forwards, Dale Hutchison was tackled near the line but managed to pop a ball up to Jake McKechnie in support, with McKechnie scoring a try which, with the Sam Hitchcock conversion, brought the Jets to within two points at the break.
The second half flattered the Forbes side which ran in four unanswered tries, although both sides played very scrappy football with numerous mistakes.
Poor discipline was obvious in the Forbes camp with two players very lucky not to have received marching orders.
The Magpies lead 34 to 10 as the match drew to a close, however Josh Barlow finished his final seconds as captain-coach for the 2012 season by weaving his way through traffic from 20 metres out to score on the bell.
Big Dale Hutchison added the extras for a final score of 34 to 16.
The Jets reserve grade have had a horror season of injuries as well as having to cover for first grade injuries, so Josh Barlow and his boys can be proud of their efforts, despite sitting at the bottom of the competition ladder.
The under-18 game lasted 15 seconds as only six players turned up for the match. They took the field for the kick-off and then the match was called off.
The dedicated few that have played every week have to be highly commended for their efforts.
They knew they were going to be beaten week in and week out and yet continued to turn up with 10 or less players.
It must have been very disheartening for them to know that their so-called team-mates were either sitting in the stand watching them play, or were playing rugby union, or were away watching Trangie play as was the case this weekend.
To their credit, coach Jade Hooper and co-coach Phil Carney stuck by the boys. The day was not a complete loss for these junior players as they pulled on jumpers for the Reserve Grade side.
The lopsided competition where teams like Narromine struggle against the bigger money clubs is a worry, and hopefully a solution can be found.
Despite the Jets finishing at the bottom of the ladder in all grades there have been some very good individual efforts, and those players will be rewarded on presentation night to be held on Friday night, September 14 at the USMC.
It will commence at 7pm and there is a $10 entry fee. A smorgasbord will be available at $15 a head.
On the following Sunday September 23 the AGM will be held at 3pm, also at the USMC.