The Parkes Spacemen Rugby League Club had its first team on the field last weekend when the women’s leaguetag team joined 19 other sides in the Western Leaguetag challenge. With strong teams from Bathurst, Orange and Blayney, coupled with the loss of a large number of last year’s squad, the Spacecats were expected to make a modest showing.

They first defeated the Burrengong Bears 16-0, thanks to a scintillating debut from wizkid Tyannua Goolagong. From the famous Condobolin area football family, Goolagong will be a favourite at Pioneer Oval this year. Parkes then defeated a plucky Canowindra side, and registered a third win against the Portland Colts side. Rookie India Draper
showed outstanding skill and vision. Claire Barber dazzled the crowd with her toughness and finesse.

A final pool match against double challenge champions, Orange Cyms determined the semi-finalists. It was all Orange with 75% possession of the ball, but they could not crack the Spacecats’ line ending in a nil all draw and a standing ovation. The gutsy Cats went through to the finals meeting the 2016 champions. With 12 of the 15 Parkes players under 20, they probably weren’t expected to repel the slick combination of the Bathurst Pats. With 50 seconds remaining, Pats broke the Parkes line for the first time, resulting in a 6-0 victory.

By Kim Ryan

The Spacecats scored a vital 24 – 10 win over the Forbes Magpies on Sunday to secure a place in the Group XI Grand Final. It was a happy Father’s Day for the Spacecats as the last team to fly the Parkes banner high and proud as their drive for a spot in the final proved to be greater than rivals Forbes.

Forbes started the clock with a great kick and Parkes making great ground through five sets of hands to allow Demi Winter to put the first points on the board. Next points came from a successful penalty by Claire Barber to take Parkes’ lead to 6.

Forbes came back five and a half minutes before the break to level the scores, but was soon answered by Parkes scoring with under a minute remaining of the first half. In the second half Forbes scored the first points, but Captain Hannah Kelly put in a great kick that Forbes knocked on 5 metres from the try line. Spacecats made the most of the Magpies error and Shayna Male broke through the Forbes defence with Claire adding the extras to put Spacecats in an 18 – 10 lead.

A Magpies penalty allowed the Parkes tally to go up by another 4, and Claire, with another awesome strike took Parkes to 24. This last 6.5 minutes was the most physical a non contact sport can get with the Spacecats playing well until the sound of the full time bell.

Congratulations to 1.Claire Barber, 2.Brittney Ryan, 3.Sarah McAneney, 4.Hannah Kelly, 6.Ella-J Harris, 7.Sally Dwyer, 8.Demi Winter, 9.Katie Caldwell, 10.Sami Afele, 11.Emma Bayley, 12.Sam Cox, 13.Codie Wakefield, 14.Louise McAneney, 15.Nat Gardiner, 16.Emeline Lavaka, 17.Shayna Male, 20.Brittany Dumesny and Michael, Rock, Tim and Ricky.

Group XI Grand Final is on Sunday at Caltex Park in Dubbo. We need all the support we can get to cheer us on.

By Kim Ryan

The Parkes Spacecats will have to claim another win to make it to the grand final as they went down to the CYMS in Dubbo 7 – 4 last Sunday. In the opening ten minutes Parkes had a lot of ball and made CYMS work hard in
defence to put on an awesome display of a quick league tag match. First points of the game awarded to CYMS with three minutes to half time, so at drinks CYMS lead 6 – 0.

Halfway into the second half a wall of Spacecats disallowed CYMS a try. They could not break Parkes in defence and kicked a field goal for the 1, taking their lead to 7. With ten minutes remaining in the match, Spacecats trailed by 7 until Demi Winter intercepted a wild pass from CYMS to score, and that was where the score remained at full time: CYMS 7 Parkes 4.

Playing on the day were 1.Claire Barber, 2.Brittney Ryan, 3.Sarah McAneney, 4.Hannah Kelly, 6.Ella-J Harris, 7.Sally Dwyer, 8.Demi Winter, 9.Katie Caldwell, 10.Sami Afele, 11.Emma Bayley, 12.Sam Cox, 14.Louise McAneney, 16.Emeline Lavaka, 17.Shayna Male and 20.Brittany Dumesny.

On Sunday the Spacecats play the Forbes Magpies for the fifth time this season for a place in the grand final.

By Kim Ryan

The Spacecats fought back with determination last Saturday to walk away with a 22-12 win against the Forbes Magpies in the first round of the lead up to the Group XI grand final. After the previous week’s shock loss
against the same team, the Spacecats played the game they wanted to play at Spooner Oval in Forbes, even though the first points went to the Magpies. The scoreboard lit up after a strong run by Sami Afele to go over, and a great kick from Sam Cox put Parkes in front by 2 with 3 minutes till drinks. Forbes took the lead again scoring on half time.

The Maggies started the second half firing on all cylinders and keen to get the first points of the second half. But the Shayna plane ran through the Forbes defence with Claire Barber adding the extras. Demi Winter took Parkes’ third and Claire scored from the sideline. Forbes tried to match the Parkes side and added another 4 to their tally taking them to 12.

Parkes took a deep kick into Forbes territory and Demi went over in the corner for her second to bring the total to 22. On Sunday the Spacecats play minor premieres CYMS in their territory at Caltex Park in Dubbo at 10:30am. The winner will go straight into the grand final on 11th September at Caltex Park.

By Kim Ryan

The Parkes Spacecats moved into the number one spot on the Group XI leader board after a convincing win of 16 – 4 over the Dubbo CYMS last weekend. Taking to the Jock Colley field at the Pioneer Oval for the Group XI second last round against the number one placed CYMS were

1. Claire Barber, 2. Brittney Ryan, 4. Hannah Kelly (C), 6. Ella-J Harris, 7. Sally Dwyer, 8. Demi-Joyce Winter, 10. Sami Afele, 11. Emma Bayley ,12. Sam Cox, 13. Codie Wakefield, 14. Louise McAneney, 15. Nat Gardiner, 16. Emeline Lavaka, 17. Shayna Male and 20. Brittany Dumesny.

In a game that didn’t disappoint the crowd, the Spacecats had the Fishes rattled from the first kick. It was a tough game from the onset with the Spacecats controlling their game. Parkes scored twice to Sally Dwyer and Shayna Male, and Claire Barber with two lots of extras. The CYMS’ only try had the half time score at 12 – 4.

The pace did not slow in the second half with the Spacecats applying pressure indefence and attack. The Spacecats’ one try to Nat Gardiner stayed unanswered by the CYMS to bring the final score to 16 – 4. The final round of the competition is in Forbes against the Magpies on Sunday.

By Kim Ryan