Castlereagh League 2020 Grand Final: Gilgandra Panthers v Dunedoo Swans

In a season that has been played under the ever-changing shadow of COVID-19 the Castlereagh League competition has been one of a limited number of regional NSWRL competitions that has gone ahead which is great testimony to the passion that clubs and players in the area have for the game.

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That passion shown by the clubs and players has been mirrored by the interest the competition has generated.

This Saturday will see the on-field action kick off at Gilgandra's McGrane Oval at 11am with the Youth League fixture between the Coonamble Bears and the Cobar Roosters.

This will be a replay of the 2019 grand final, which saw the Cobar club claim their first Castlereagh League premiership when they won the thrilling encounter 30 points to 24.

The League Tag grand final is set down for a 1pm kick off, featuring a Battle of the Birds with the Baradine Magpiettes up against the Dunedoo Swannettes.

Baradine will be aiming for their third successive premiership whilst Dunedoo will be playing for their first, their previous grand final appearance being back in 2017 when they lost to Warren.

Both teams have registered a win over the other this, interestingly the home ground advantage not ringing true in both games with Dunedoo winning 18 to 16 at Baradine and the Magpiettes too strong at Dunedoo registering a 28 to nil victory.

The highly anticipated first grade clash between the Gilgandra Panthers and the Dunedoo Swans is scheduled for a 3pm kick off with both sides possessing many strike players in attack and being well matched in terms of their defensive capabilities.

Throughout the competition rounds the Panthers had 138 points scored against them whilst the Swans allowed in just seven more for 145!

Gilgandra's McGrane Oval should hold no great fear for the Swans, they will be buoyed by the fact that when the two teams met there just a few weeks ago they went down by a solitary point with Gilgandra winning 23 to 22 in a match that could have easily gone either way.

Since then the Swans have been in excellent form, downing the Cobar Roosters twice in as many weeks when they met at Dunedoo in the last round of the competition and then again at Cobar in a sudden death semi-final last Sunday.

Whilst both sides had the long weekend off, the Panthers will enter the grand final having had an additional week off after a bye in the final week of competition before they downed the Coonamble Bears in the semi final.

The Panthers have recently based a lot of their play on their highly capable forward pack, but they too possess a backline that, given an opportunity, can strike from anywhere on the field.

The Swans will be chasing their second Castlereagh first grade premiership, having lifted the shield in 2014, the club's previous first grade premiership to that was way back in 1967 in Group 14 days.

Conversely the Panthers will be playing for their seventh Castlereagh title having been premiers in 2001, 2011, 2013, 2016,2017 and 2018 with many of their players lining up for their fifth successive grand final.