By Jamie Parsons

In round five of the 2025 ProTen Cup the Ivanhoe Roosters relinquished their hold on top spot with a loss to Rankins Springs, and Barellan did enough to get the points over the home town Bluebirds, to jump into first place for the first time this season.

Women’s games 

Premiers Barellan have surely secured another minor premiership with a 40-0 win over a short Goolgowi side. Six different try scorers featured for the Rams with Sophie Taylor scoring twice. Goolgowi borrowed four Rankins Springs players to field a team and with two byes left will be hoping Hillston won’t upset Ivanhoe in round seven so they can stay in the top four.

Barellan will need to lose to Rankins Springs and Ivanhoe need to make up a 68-point for-and-against deficit to knock the Rams off top spot.

Barellan 40 (Sophie Taylor 2, Madison Morris, Sophia Kelsey, Claire Stachan, Bianca Spowart, Brittany Everett tries; Monique Higgins 6 goals) Goolgowi 0

In the second game Hillston were looking for the first win against Springs and started well with a try to Mel Nilsen to lead 4-0 at the break. Rankins Springs kept them out in the second half though and a couple of long range tries to Tilly Heath and Georgia West put them in front, with a possible match winning try for Hillston was called back for a forward pass.

Rankins Springs 8 (Tilly Heath, Georgia West tries) Hillston 4 (Mel Nilsen try)

Men’s games

Narrandera Lizards started in the worst possible way against Goolgow,i with their winger sent off for a spear tackle in the opening minutes.

Despite the one-man disadvantage, the Lizards then ran riot running in six tries to lead 32-0 with Brayden Stewart grabbing a double. Goolgowi scored one before halftime and then mounted a comeback against a tiring 12-man outfit but a late Narrandera try sealed the game.

Narrandera 38 (Brayden Stewart 2, Jakeem Morgan, Barlow Simpson, Michael Salafia, Kane Simpson, Jamain Morgan tries; Jakeem Morgan 5 goals) Goolgowi 20 (Henry Taylor, Mitchell White, Jasvir Singh-Clark, Jake Clonan tries; Henry Taylor, Toby Hams goals)

With a win over the Dragons, Ivanhoe could have cemented a home final but it wasn’t to be.

An early try to Tyrone Johnston was equalled with a Billy Vearing try at the other end. Another try to Billy Vearing and one to Jamie Parsons after Cassidy Evans was sent off for striking, had the Dragons up 18-4 before a long-range Phillip Hunter try scored a consolation for the Roosters.

Rankins Springs 18 (Billy Vearing 2, Jamie Parsons tries; Damian Walker 3 goals) Ivanhoe 10 (Tyrone Johnston, Phillip Hunter tries; Patty Miller goal)

Hillston came out at home and matched Barellan blow for blow in the early stages, trailing by only two points at half time.

Not long after the restart Noah Forbutt grabbed his second, but Hillston’s Connor Eade pegged one back to keep it close. Barnstorming Barellan centre Mesulame Navakayala scored to put the Rams eight ahead but in the process a Hillston player suffered a nasty knockout, putting an end to the game.

Barellan 16 (Noah Forbutt 2, Mesulame Navakayala tries; Noah Forbutt 2 goals) Hillston 8 (Tale Delai, Connor Eade tries)