The Dubbo CYMS may have won the last two Group 11 competitions, but the Forbes Magpies will be confident of an upset, after smashing the Wellington Cowboys 48-10 last week. That performance followed an equally as good defeat of Dubbo Westside in round one, with the black-and-white side triumphing 52-22.

It has been an almost flawless start to the season by the Magpies, who have already scored 100 points in just two rounds, and have charged to the top of the ladder. While CYMS will be no easy-beats, having downed Narromine 64 10 last week, the Magpies forwards have been able to dominate their opposition in both matches so far this season, and Magpies Director of Coaching Cameron Greenhalgh said this would make them a tough side to beat.

“We’ve probably got one of, if not the best, forward packs in the competition,” he said. “Once they get a bit of a roll on, they’re pretty hard to pull back. We’ve probably just got to start playing off the back of what they do, and we’ll put on a little bit more.” “If they can keep that going for the full 80 minutes, Forbes will be pretty hard to beat.”

Greenhalgh said CYMS were a big and mobile side that had great line speed, and the Magpies had to match that to take the two points. “We’ve got to control the ball and keep the football off them as much as we can, and try to tire them out with our big forwards, and hopefully we can get the momentum,” he said.

“Both sides will be looking at going into the bye round with three wins under their belts, so it should be a good contest.” Kick-off will be at 4pm at Spooner Oval in Forbes.

The Forbes Magpies lead the Country Rugby League Group 11 competition after the first round, after demolishing Dubbo Westside 52-22 at Spooner Oval last Sunday afternoon. Despite potentially being without two players for this Sunday’s clash against the Wellington Cowboys in Wellington, their big win would certainly have boosted their confidence.

Zack Merritt was unlucky in the 75th minute of the Westside clash, picking up
a groin injury in the dying stages of the match, and he will unlikely be available to face Wellington. The other injury was picked up by centre Mike Mitchell, who injured his ankle. It is unknown as to whether he will be able to take the field this Sunday.

Magpies President Greg Grogan said the injuries was the only low point for the Forbes team, which came out guns blazing in round one. “They scored some really good tries and came up with some good set plays, and they were able to run away with the game,” he said. “They were a bit scrappy in the first half, but they fixed that up and really got going in the second half, which is a great sign moving forward.”

Grogan said it would be important for the Magpies to stick to captain/coach Jake Grace’s game plans moving forward throughout the season. “We may be off to a good start and on top of the ladder already, but it’s only round one,” he said. “The players showed last weekend that when they stick to Grace’s game plans, they play much better. There was a period where they seemed to just follow the opposition a bit, but when they went back to the game plan, they played much better.”

Wellington was beaten convincingly by the Parkes Spacemen 38-18 last weekend, and this would hold Forbes as favourites for their match. Meanwhile, the Forbes Magpies womens league tag side also came away with a win last Sunday. The reserve grade side went down to
Westside in their clash, and the under 18s side fell short of their first win as well.

In first grade, other results saw the Narromine Jets edge out the Nyngan Tigers 36-32, while Dubbo CYMS just beat local rivals Dubbo Macquarie 24 22. Besides the Magpies’ fixture against Wellington, next Sunday will see Dubbo CYMS ake on Narromine, Dubbo Westside locking horns with neighbours Dubbo Macquarie, and the Parkes Spacemen hosting the Nyngan Tigers.

The Forbes Magpies ran away with their final trial match of 2016 to send a strong message to the Group 11 competition this year. Despite some lazy period in the first half, the Magpies destroyed the Wellington Cowboys 56-22 in Wellington last Saturday.

The win came after they comfortably put away neighbours the Parkes Spacemen 38-16, while they also put on strong displays in their wins against Bathurst St Patricks, and the sides they beat on their way to the West Wyalong knock-out semi-final.

They were also one of the better sides in the recent Parkes Nines competition. Magpies President Greg Grogan said with a Group 11 round one bye this weekend, the Magpies were feeling confident heading into round two against the Cowboys in Wellington.

“It was over 30 degrees up in Wellington last Saturday, and the players did well to play like they did in the heat,” he said. “It was a really strong outing from our forwards, and they’re looking good for this season. But the whole side put on a really good attacking performance. They scored five or six tries in the second half alone.”

After scoring early in the first half, Grogan said the Magpies got lazy in defence, allowing Wellington back into the contest. But he said a half time lecture by captain/ coach Jake Grace brought the best out of them in the second stanza. The under 18s side also played in Wellington, but put in an effort Grogan said was well below their capabilities, coming home with a 28-10 loss.

Meanwhile the Magpies will officially launch their season at the Forbes Sport and Recreation Club tonight (Friday April 15). The launch will include dinner as well as music, drinks, and an auctioning of the first grade players’ jerseys to raise money for the club. The launch will start at 6.30pm, and Grogan said anyone is welcome to attend.

The Forbes Magpies will welcome back some injured players this weekend as they prepare to take on the Wellington Orcas in Wellington on Saturday. The Magpies will come off a solid 38-16 win over the Parkes Spacemen last week a match where they flexed their muscles and piled on the points.

It was part of a blockbuster evening at Spooner Oval last Friday night, with the under 18s getting up 18-6, while the league tag girls went down 12-0. One junior and senior side will travel to Wellington on Saturday, with the league tag girls unable to make the trip. Magpies President Greg Grogan said the senior players showed great strength last Friday, and would be confident heading into their final preseason hit-out.

“We’ve got a really strong forward pack this year plus we’ve picked up some good young backs, who played really well,” he said. “We’ll still have a couple players resting for Wellington, but some others will be back from their injuries which will be good.” “We dropped a few balls against Parkes, so the players will be working on that moving forward.”

Grogan said the club was lacking players for their reserve grade team this year, and with depth being important, he encouraged any player interested in playing to attend team training at Spooner Oval at 6pm on a Tuesday night. “We would love to see more players registering for our reserve grade side, so if anyone is thinking about it or would be interested in playing, they are more than welcome to come to training and join up,” he said.

The Magpies have a bye in round one of the Group 11 competition following the Wellington trial.

The Forbes Magpies will turn their attention to the Parkes Nines tournament this weekend after defeating Bathurst St Patricks 38-16 in the Brendan Collits Memorial Cup. It was a brave effort by all players who took to the field, with the mercury reaching a sweaty 37 degrees.

But with the temperature only expected to hit 26 degrees on Saturday for the Parkes tournament, Magpies President Greg Grogan said it wouldn’t be as exhausting for the players. “It was ridiculous how hot it was last Saturday [against Bathurst],” he said. “The players did so well to get through
that and play how they did, and hopefully it’ll be much cooler at the Nines in Parkes.”

“Jake Grace [Magpies coach] will take a squad of 15 over there, and whilst Nines is a completely different form of the game, it’ll be a good test of fitness and keeping possession.”

The Magpies will need to win at least two games to make the Parkes Nines finals, and will be confident after showing great form at the West Wyalong knockout competition a fortnight ago, and the Brendan Collits Memorial Cup last week.

They raced out to a 26-4 half time lead in the heat against Bathurst St Patricks at Spooner Oval, and showed plenty of ability with the ball and their fitness levels. The game was played in 20-minute quarters due to the heat, and finished with a jersey auction in the clubhouse after full time.

Grogan said coach Grace was happy with the effort his players put in. “It was very hot, but the players dug deep and got through it pretty well. It was a hard
game, but it was played in good spirit. Both teams had some players out to injury too,” he said.

The Magpies wore a one-off jersey during the game that commemorated the late Brendan Collits, and auctioned these off after the game as a fundraiser. “The Bathurst boys were good enough to buy a few, and we thank them for their generosity.

They said they would use them in their new clubhouse that is getting built,” Grogan said. The curtain-raising women’s league tag match between Forbes and Bathurst was abandoned due to serious injury. A Bathurst player was airlifted to hospital after falling awkwardly upon scoring a try, but is reportedly in a good condition.

By Joshua Matic

The Forbes Magpies have turned their attention to the annual Brendon Collits Memorial Cup after a solid outing at the West Wyalong knock-out competition last weekend.

In 2013 former Magpies player Collits was tragically killed in a car accident while on his way to training, and since the incident, the fixture has been played in his memory.

They will play Bathurst in the game, and should enter it with plenty of confidence after almost taking the West Wyalong competition. After losing to the Young Cherrypickers 22-12 last Friday night, they beat the Queanbeyan Kangaroos 8-6, before losing to Gundagai 14-10 in extra time after the
scores were locked at 10-a-piece at fulltime.

Gundagai went on to win the grand final in the next match. Magpies President Greg Grogan said the side played well in its first hit-out of the year.

“They played very well considering they’re only a young side,” he said. “We had a few injuries, but the competition [Group 11] doesn’t start until the end of
April, so they should be alright.” “It was only a trial though. The competition-
it’s a long year, and anything can happen.” Jake Grace is captaining and coaching the side this year.

The side will field a very strong forward pack this year, with Grace joined by Zack Merritt, Ben Robinson, Ben McGuire, and Ethan Gaffney. The backline is not too much more unformidable either, with Matt Roylance, Carl Johnston, Mitch Bourke, Mitch Andrews and Patrick Murphy steering the team
around the paddock.

Grogan said the club would look at moving forward from a great year last year, when it won the Club of the Year award for having all four grades represented in the semi finals. “Everybody made the semis which was a great achievement,” he said.

“Hopefully we can improve in the first grade side so we last a bit longer in the
finals. But the main thing is to improve and keep competitive. That’s what the supporters want to see.”

The Forbes Magpies Rugby League Club, Magpies Old Boys (MOB) is all set to get behind their clubs teams this year in the Country Rugby League Group 11 competition. The MOB is a group that takes memberships from former Magpies players, their friends and family, or anyone else who is keen to support the club, and membership fees go towards the rugby league club to
support it.

The aim of the group is for people to get social at Forbes Magpies home games during the rugby league season, and from time to time the group also organizes bus trips to away fixtures as well. It will be travelling by bus to West Wyalong on February 26 for the Magpies’ first preseason hit out at the West Wyalong knock-out round robin tournament.

MOB secretary Andrew Rousell said the group was about getting supporters of the club together who were not necessarily interested in being involved with the organizational structure of the club. “It was created by some of us that go to the footy every week but really weren’t involved in the committee or didn’t want to get on it, but still wanted to help out,” he said.

“We offer the league’s club some financial assistance as well.” Rousell said while his group plays its part in helping out the rugby league club, it also
encouraged locals to get out to Magpies home games and support their local team. “It’s a social thing. It encourages people to go to the footy,” he said.

The Forbes Magpies kick off their Group 11 campaign in April.

It was a bittersweet final round for the Forbes Magpies on August 30 at Spooner Oval, with both Reserve Grade and the Under 18s teams getting pushed out of the Premiership competition by Dubbo Macquarie.

The Under 18s were beaten on the bell with Macquarie breaking a 14-all stalemate with a try in the final minute, taking the win with the final score at 20-14. The Reserve Grade team bowed out of the race with a 2 point loss in extra time. The final score was 18-16, a disappointing loss for  the Magpies.

Both of the teams did Forbes proud and were gracious in defeat after a huge effort in the 2015 season.

Good luck to the Macquarie Raiders and Parkes Spacemen as they head into the Grand Final next weekend.

The Magpies are set to host the penultimate round of Group 11 this Sunday following surprise losses by their Reserve and Under 18s team in Dubbo last weekend. Magpies Reserve grade team was rolled by a fiercely competitive Westside team whose win of 32-12 secured them a place in the 2015 Grand Final.

It was a shock loss for the Minor Premiers and one which they will take lessons from as they head towards the deciding round this weekend. The Under 18s team also had a tough day on the field with only 14 men able to attend due to commitments and injury.

The Magpies were valiant in defeat going down to CYMS 22-14. Both teams have vowed that this week will be a different story and they are planning to demonstrate the same quality of football that got both teams to their first position on the ladder. The Magpies are inviting all supporters to get out to Spooner Oval this Sunday from 11am. Support your local rugby league teams as they defend their position.

In League Tag this weekend the Nyngan Tigers will take on the Parkes Spacemen. Games commence at 11am.

The Forbes Magpies were lucky to come away with a win over Parkes Spacemen on Sunday at Spooner Oval, when they defeated second ranked Parkes Spacemen 24-22, the first time they have beaten their rivals in six years.
In front of the biggest crowd to have assembled at Spooner in many years, both teams put on a show that did not leave any spectators disappointed.

In a game close to their heart, competition between Parkes and Forbes was at an all time high as they battled it out in the final round of the home-and-away season for the annual Brendon ‘Stubby’ Collits Memorial Cup. Forbes were extremely resilient throughout the match, managing to fight back after allowing Parkes to lead three times during the
match. They were led exceptionally by First Grade Captain-Coach Zac Merritt, who was well supported by Ben Robinson, Jake Grace and Ethan Gaffney.

The Magpies had the ball on a string it seemed, with an impressive try scored by Bailey Hartwig, who was called up from under 18s to fill a position on the wing, which opened the scoreboard 16 minutes in. Parkes were quick to respond off an Alex Prout bomb, which saw Jesse Parker and Billy Burns combine to tie up the scores at 6-6 at half time. Parkes came out firing in the second half and saw Billy Burns cross out wide unopposed to bring Parkes into the lead for the first time in the game at 10-6.

Forbes were able to answer six minutes later with Joe Coe diving on a grubber in the corner to even the score. Parkes scored twice more, with credits to Alex Prout and Brendan Paige, however the Magpies continued to hang on and tries to Jake Grace and Zac Merritt saw them in a nail biting 22 all position, with half\ Carl Johnson unsuccessful in an attempt at a field goal with minutes to go. As the siren sounded, Parkes Captain- Coach Dennis Moran was penalised in front of the posts, allowing Johnson to kick the winning two points in a controversial ending, as the Magpies home crowd celebrated.

The game was a perfect finish to a great day of football, that in other games saw the Magpies League Tag girls beaten 12-0, Under 18s went down 16-8, however the Magpies Group 11 Reserve Grade Premiers put on a clinic and defeated Parkes 44 -6. The Minor premiership honours taken out by Magpies under 18s and Reserve grade
teams, has earned them a weeks rest, while the Magpies First Grade and League Tag teams will head to Caltex Park Dubbo on Saturday to take on Dubbo Westside and Wellington respectively in the elimination Semi Finals.
First game will be League Tag from 12pm. The Magpies encourage all supporters to head over to Dubbo and cheer the teams on into the next round of semis.