KOOTINGAL-Moonbi and Narrabri might be caught up in a race for the minor premiership, with a huge clash between the sides at Collins Park on Sunday, but there is another race unfolding.
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It's a race to be the competition's leading point-scorer - and it's wide open.
At this stage Gunnedah's "Mr Fixit" Dylan O'Brien leads the way.
He has amassed 96 points after scoring eight tries and kicking 32 goals despite his Bulldogs having lost their last six games.
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The Bulldogs sit sixth on the table but are still a mathematical chance of making the semis if they beat the Magpies at Werris Creek on Saturday and the Cowboys knock over Moree at Dungowan.
While O'Brien's Gunnedah teammate, Aaron Donnelly, celebrated 150 games last weekend by scoring two tries against North Tamworth in a 36-22 loss, O'Brien also scored two tries and kicked three goals for a 14-point haul.
"When he first came to us this year [from Boggabri] he was our Mr Fixit," Gunnedah coach Mick Schmiedel said of O'Brien, who started on the wing and is now in the No 1.
"But he's been a godsend for us," Schmiedel added. "He's a better footballer than we first realised.
"We didn't know how good he was. He's been very good for our club. [He's] got a big left foot and is a good goalkicker as well."
"Plus he gives us three good kickers in general play [the others being Dylan Lake and Reece Jaeger]," Schmiedel also said.
In second and third place of the point-scoring list are Roosters halfback Sam (84 points) and Roos centre Robert Doolan (80).
Then comes North Tamworth fullback Bailey Taylor (66), with Bears teammate Tevita Pecili equal fifth on 52 points with Kooty centre Ryley Mackay. They have crossed for 13 tries apiece to lead the try-scoring table.
Top 10 point-scorers:
96: Dylan O'Brien (Gunnedah).
84: Sam Taylor (Kootingal-Moonbi).
80: Robert Doolan (Boggabri).
66: Bailey Taylor (North Tamworth).
52: Tevita Peceli (North Tamworth), Ryley Mackay (Kootingal-Moonbi).
50: Michael Watton (Moree).
44: Jake McManus (North Tamworth), Todd Nichols (Narrabri).
41: Jordan Sharpe (Kootingal-Moonbi).
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