IT was a big weekend for the Merriwa Magpies in Bengalla Hunter Valley Group 21 Rugby League.
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With the play-offs finally kicking off after 15 rounds, the club's reserves booked a grand final berth following their gutsy - and nail-biting - 16-10 victory over minor premiers Scone Thoroughbreds at Scone Park on Sunday.
Twenty-four hours earlier, at Singleton's Pirtek Park, the Magpies' league tag squad eliminated the Muswellbrook Ramettes 28-4 from the title race.
Merriwa now faces Murrurundi in the preliminary final after the Mavettes suffered a 24-6 loss to the Thoroughbreds.
The winner tackles Scone in the 2019 decider.
The Thoroughbreds also tasted success in first grade, defeating the Aberdeen Tigers 30-16, while the Singleton Greyhounds upset the Muswellbrook Rams 42-10 in under-18s.
Meanwhile, in the other fixtures on Saturday, the minor semis, Singleton knocked out the Denman Devils 38-4 in the main encounter.
Reserve grade saw the Tigers jettison the Rams 34-14, while their under-18s proved too strong for the Thoroughbreds 26-12.
The preliminary finals will be played at McKinnon Field, Aberdeen, on August 31.
Group 21 Play-off results
Minor semi-finals -
(Saturday - Pirtek Park, Singleton)
First grade: Singleton Greyhounds d Denman Devils 38-4
Reserve grade: Aberdeen Tigers d Muswellbrook Rams 34-14
Under-18s: Aberdeen Tigers d Scone Thoroughbreds 26-12
League tag: Merriwa Magpies d Muswellbrook Ramettes 28-4
Major semi-finals
(Sunday - Scone Park, Scone)
First grade: Scone Thoroughbreds d Aberdeen Tigers 30-16
Reserve grade: Merriwa Magpies d Scone Thoroughbreds 16-10
Under-18s: Singleton Greyhounds d Muswellbrook Rams 42-10
League tag: Scone Thoroughbreds d Murrurundi Mavettes 24-6