After being in the top four virtually all season, a heart-breaking 26-23 loss to Bathurst Panthers has relegated Orange CYMS to seventh place on rugby league’s Peter McDonald Premiership final Western first grade table.

Both clubs went into the fixture hoping for a top four finish but that slot went to Bathurst St Pat’s (20, +21) who after winning via forfeit to Orange Hawks in the final round (effectively a 20-nil win) had a superior points difference to Bathurst Panthers (20, -9).

It now means Orange CYMS will travel to Forbes (sixth) to meet in a sudden-death final on Saturday, August 17.

Panthers (fifth) will host Wellington (eighth) in the other elimination final.

Mudgee (first) host Bathurst St Pat’s (fourth) in one qualifying semi-final while Dubbo CYMS (second) host Parkes (third) in the other.

Orange will be well-represented in all of the other grades.

Orange CYMS (third, 26) and Orange Hawks (sixth, 17) qualified for the reserve grade play-offs.

In under-18s, Orange Hawks (first, 27) and Orange CYMS (third, 23) both have a double chance in the Tom Nelson Premiership while in the women’s blues tag Orange CYMS (28) have qualified in second place to have two bites at the cherry while Hawks (seventh, 17) are in the eight and play sudden-death from the start.

Meanwhile in rugby league’s Woodbridge Cup finals, Orange United won 24-14 in youth league against Canowindra to move into the preliminary final while the Warriors’ blues tag team was eliminated with a 26-4 loss to Molong.

Final Western Rugby League tables. Peter McDonald Premiership first grade. Mudgee (30), Dubbo CYMS (26), Parkes (24), Bathurst St Pat’s (20, +21), Bathurst Panthers (20, -9), Forbes (19), Orange CYMS (18), Wellington (15); Dubbo Macquarie (14), Nyngan (10), Lithgow (eight), Orange Hawks (six).

Reserve grade: Dubbo CYMS (28), Mudgee (27), Orange CYMS (26), Dubbo Macquarie (24), Forbes (19), Orange Hawks (17), Bathurst Panthers (14, -114), Nyngan 14 (-159); Parkes (13), Bathurst St Pat’s (11), Lithgow (10), Wellington (nine).

Tom Nelson Premiership (under-18s): Orange Hawks (27), Dubbo CYMS (26), Orange CYMS (23, +181), Forbes (23, +154), Parkes (23, +55), Lithgow (22), Dubbo Macquarie (18), Bathurst St Pat’s (17); Wellington (13), Mudgee (12), Bathurst Panthers (four, -364), Nyngan (four, -414).

Blues Tag: Dubbo Macquarie (30), Orange CYMS (28), Bathurst St Pat’s (27), Wellington (23), Dubbo CYMS (18, -58), Lithgow (18, -68), Orange Hawks (17, -40), Mudgee (16, -8); Bathurst Panthers (10, -204), Parkes (10, -228), Nyngan (eight), Forbes (five).