I n a tremendous feat, the Gosford Kariong U16s, U15s, U14s, U13s, U12s and U10s have all booked their places in this season’s local junior rugby league semi-finals which kick off at Toukley from August 20-21.
It is only the second time in the 55 year history of junior rugby league on the Central Coast, that Gosford has managed to provide six semi-fi nal teams in the same season, with the only other occasion being that of the winter of 1967. The magnifi cent purple half dozen will likely all line up in elimination semi-fi nals on August 21, although the U10s, 12s and 13s still maintain slim hopes of forcing their way up into coveted top three positions via a series of favourable results falling kindly into place during the fi nal round. U12s coach, Mr Greg Eather, will be keen to get his team back on the paddock following a bye and then a wash out, which created an untimely three week layoff.
The Storm boys will re-enter the fray against the undefeated Tigers, kicking off “R U OK? Day” at Carrington Street Oval, Narara on August 13. The U10(2)s appear destined to face Warnervale in their knockout semi-fi nal. Gosford managed to edge out the Bulls 26-22 in the dying minutes of a thrilling contest just a fortnight ago; a game in which dynamic dummy half Benji Keene-O’Keefe scored four tries, pushing his season’s tally to 20 from just 9 appearances. The talented U16s squad faces competition leaders Ourimbah in the fi nal round before heading to Toukley for a knockout semi-fi nal against Warnervale eight days later. Wayne Oatley’s U13s have been buoyed by a remarkable form reversal, that saw a 50 point loss to Blue Haven during mid June, morph into a 38-28 victory against the same side just fi ve weeks later.
Representative players, Jake Martin and Nash Dorratt-Mavin, along with Blake McDonald, were particularly prominent in a spirited Storm performance. The Gosford U14s and U15s will go into their semi- fi nals as underdogs against Kincumber and Terrigal respectively. The Ed Gale coached 15s have suffered heavy losses to the Sharks in the most recent of clashes between the two sides and the irritable nature of the Round 11 loss at Terrigal, in which two Gosford forwards were marched, has the Storm boys primed for a big effort.
Media release, Aug 6, 2016 Andrew Stark, Gosford Kariong Storm RLFC