Sports News

Hook, Line and Sinker with Lindsay Doust

Eat up - then keep the rest for bait

Here is a little glimpse of what re-stocking can achieve. This outstanding pair of barramundi, weighing in at 37 and 41 kilograms, were caught in Lake Awonga near Gladstone. Impoundment fish such as these were stocked into the dam as fingerlings.

The weekend has come and it's time to get the gear out for another feed of fish. That was what we managed last weekend, just a couple of tailor from the South Ballina area. We went there because we heard that the weekend before and earlier in the week they had been getting good catches, but when we arrived the conditions were too good and the patterns of the beach had changed.

However, they were a nice feed and it is hard to beat filleted, skinned and freshly eaten tailor. Any excess I have (up to the bag limit) are always kept with the skin on and frozen, to be used later as snapper bait. They are one of the best baits of all.

The Richmond Valley Sportfishing Club has an outing to Iluka on Sunday, February 22. The outing is targeting bream on lures, soft plastics or flies. It starts from the main boat ramp at 6am and ends at 12noon. You can choose the hours you fish in that time. With the explosion in fishing with soft plastics, this is a Club that specialises in this form of fishing, in both fresh and salt water. When we fish salt water, the fish can be kept as long as all NSW regulations are adhered to. When we fish fresh water we encourage the fish being released - hence the name sportfishing.

If you want to know more about this Club please contact me and I will pass on the name of the Secretary.

There are many fishing clubs that operate through the Richmond Valley and in the next few weeks I hope to feature many of these clubs and provide contact details. Just about every club has a different emphasis, for example, deep sea, freshwater, beach, estuary and many cater for individuals and some mainly for families.

Have a good look at today's photo, as it is a rare sight for two barramundi of this size to be caught by one angler in one session.

Anglers go all the way to the Territory and pay thousands of dollars to guides, or travel for days on end, to catch barra, but these fish were caught in a waterway that is only an eight-hour drive from Lismore at Lake Awonga near Gladstone.

James returns to claim victory

Battling very hot conditions Nicole James, formerly of Mullumbimby, emerged victorious from the $16,000 Coraki Ladies Pro-Am after being forced into a two-way play-off.

As part of the Australian Ladies Tour the tournament counts towards the Order of Merit standings. James and Victorian Lindsay Wright both went around the Coraki course in three under par 70, one shot ahead of Joanne Mills, Donna Southam (NSW) and Rebecca Coakley (S Aust).

James, who is now a member of the NSW Golf Club in Sydney, required only a par in the gathering gloom of the first play-off hole to take the title. It was her first victory after seven years playing on the Australian circuit.

This Sunday will see the Northern Rivers send three teams to Sawtell for the annual inter-district competition against Mid-North Coast while the Byron Bay Golf Club will host the Annual Northern Rivers Directors Day.

Youth wins out for Casino

The Casino RSM four, featuring under-21 bowlers of David Zorzo and Peter Brown, along with stalwarts Brian Nixon and David Ball, won the NRDBA Fours championship on Sunday at South Lismore. They overcame the Evans Head four of Barry Mallett, Rod Greentree, Merv Lavelle and Bill Cooper 21-18 in very hot conditions.

Matches for the opening round of the NRDBA Triples will commence at 9am on Sunday February 29 at Ballina and Lennox Head clubs.

Three clubs are dominating the top end of the 2004 NRDBA pennant season. After three rounds Casino RSM, Lismore Workers Heights or Evans Head hold onto first place in each of the top five grades, with Evans and Casino sharing the Grade Five lead.

Casino RSM have opened up a six-point break in Grade One after their 5-1 victory over Ballina last Saturday.

Number One: South Lismore 5 d Alstonville 1; Casino RSM 5 d Ballina 1; Lennox Head 5 d East Lismore 1. Leading team: Casino RSM - 17.

Number Two: Ballina 5 d Lismore City 1; Casino RSM 3 1/2 d Ballina RSL 2 1/2; Lismore Wks Hts 5 d Evans Head 1. Leading team: Lismore Workers Heights - 15.

Number Three: South Lismore 5 d Broadwater 1; Kyogle 6 d Lennox Head 0; Evans Head 5 d Ballina 1. Leading team: Evans Head - 15.

Number Four: Alstonville [I] 6 d Alstonville [II] 0; East Lismore 5 d Ballina RSL 1; Leading team: Lismore Workers Heights - 16.

Number Five: Evans Head 4 d Lennox Head 2; Casino RSM 5 d Ballina RSL 1; Bonalbo 5 d Lismore Wks Hts 1. Leading teams: Evans Head and Casino RSM - 11.

Number Six: Lismore City 6 d Nimbin 0; South Lismore 5 d Ballina 1; Casino 5 d Lismore Wks Hts 1. Leading team: Lismore City - 15.

Number Seven-A: Evans Head 6 d South Lismore 0; Casino 5 d Lismore Wks Hts 1; Lismore RSL 6 d Kyogle 0. Leading team: Lismore RSL - 17.

Number Seven-B: Ballina 6 d East Lismore 0; Alstonville 6 d Evans Head 0; Casino - bye. Leading team: Ballina - 12.

Soccer sign-up this Saturday

All Soccer Far North Coast clubs will be conducting sign-ons this Saturday.

There are now 26 clubs competing in Soccer FNC competitions, with the newest being Shores from Ocean Shores. The clubs vary in size, with Nimbin fielding seniors only, having only 31 members in 2003, compared to Alstonville with an astonishing 608 members.

In Lismore, Thistles showed the biggest increase in numbers last year, while premier Division premiers Italo Stars and former powerhouse South Lismore will be looking to turn around a slight drop in their player numbers last season.

Soccer competitions run from Under Six through to Over 35s, plus a very successful program of girls and womens competitions.

For details of your nearest soccer club, call Soccer Far North Coast on 6621 5593.

Villa, Souths and Brothers in finals squeeze - Cricket

In the dying overs of the Casino innings batsman Scott Shephard was called to a mid-wicket conference by his partner Wade Sweeney just as Steve Lockhart was starting his run-up. Norths keeper Rodney Wells responded by calling Lockhart to a conference of their own (below). The result - Shephard took this almighty swipe at the next delivery, only to be caught at gully.

Souths will meet Marist Brothers at Oakes Oval on Saturday with the prize being a possible place in the top four with just one round remaining prior to the finals.

Souths (31 points) and Brothers (30 points) are sitting just behind fourth-placed Alstonville (32) who have to play undefeated competition leaders Casino this week.

Alstonville will then have to face the defending champions, Tintenbar East Ballina in the final round. If Villa make the semis with that run home they will well and truly deserve their place.

Marist Brothers returned to winning form last weekend against Alstonville, chasing a target of 194 at Hill Park Oval. Stuart Fielder set the win up with a fine 63. He was ably assisted by Doug Rose (33) and, embarrassingly for the hosts, 38 to Xavier Tras (with compliments to Kerry O'Keefe of ABC Radio). Alstonville's Greg Potts must feel hard-done by having knocked up 108 the previous week and then backing up with 4-9 off seven overs.

Souths speedster Scott Coster collected 5-36 and had support from the consistent Les Blok (3-39) in restricting Tintenbar East Ballina to just 165, giving Souths the first innings points by 48 runs.

Casino were able to shut out Norths Goonellabah RSL at Oakes Oval after losing 3-0 late in their innings. Batting on they took their overnight score from 6-189 to 9-208. Casino speedster Al Nowlan continued his outstanding year by taking 4-33 as the Cavaliers held Norths to just 153.

Lennox Head had a rare taste of victory in their match against Brunswick. The battle of the cellar-dwellers saw Brunswick set Lennox a chase of 179. Ben Peterson (73 n.o.) and Sean Bucket (51) provided the majority of the runs As Lennox got home with five wickets in hand.

Ballina held on by the skin of their teeth for a draw against Eastern Districts at Fripp Oval. Easts posted 7-252, a target that may have mentally defeated the Bears in advance. They lost three early wickets and were never in the chase. Opener Jason Holmes (58) helped steer them clear of early trouble, but it was left to lower order batsman Brad Davis (32 n.o.) to see them through to 9-188 and the security of stumps.

Hooker League Ladder

Casino 54, Easts 42, Norths Goonellabah RSL 34, Alstonville 32, Souths 31, Marist Brothers 30, Tintenbar East Ballina 28, Ballina Bears 22, Lennox Heads 15. Brunswick 8.

Round Eight

Feb 28

Alstonville v Casino (Hill Park Oval); Souths v Marist Brothers (Oakes Oval); Brunswick v Easts (Thompson Oval); Norths Goonellabah RSL v Lennox Head (Saunders Oval); Ballina Bears v Tintenbar East Ballina (Fripp Oval).

Plug to be pulled on pool - and swimmers

Students of Lismore Public School enjoy a break from the sunshine during their school swimming carnival last Friday. This will be the last round of school carnivals held at the pool in its present form.

The Lismore Memorial Pool will be closing its gates prior to a major redevelopment, on Sunday, February 29, at 6pm.

Could it be that the one thing left out of the discussions about the pool's future in Council was the fate of the swimmers? The timing of the closure, being partway through the competitive swimming season, will cause severe disruption to local swimmers who are targeting state and national titles in March and April.

Two Lismore swimmers, Alex Mills and Jessica Henshaw, have already qualified for the nationals and a number of others are on the verge.

With the closure of the Lismore pool, and no alternative plan being offered, the swimmers will split their training between the Alstonville and Woodlawn College pools, with sessions running between 5.30am and 7am as well as afternoons. Some swimmers will also incorporate sessions at the Splash Factory.

Sports academy

North Coast Academy of Sport (NCAS) is seeking people as committee members.

As a non-profit, non-government and independent organisation, NCAS relies on support from local communities to continue its work.

The NCAS has just two paid employees, but is supported by a network of around 80 voluntary sports coaches, managers and supporting committee members.

The Academy is looking to fill 6-10 positions for each of its five Sub-Region Committees (SRC), including the Northern Rivers.

They are looking for people to fill positions on the NCAS board. For further details contact Tony Clarke, Executive Director, North Coast Academy of Sport PO Box 157, Lismore 2480, Ph: 6620 3073, or email tclarke@ncas.org.au

Rachel's endurance through the desert

Rachel Stephens with Kimmim Park Sadim, the horse she unfortunately had to leave in Australia.

Endurance rider Rachel Stephens, of South Lismore, is today competing in her first international event in one of the spiritual homes of the horse world. Rachel left Australia last week to saddle up in the prestigious President's Cup in Dubai.

Rachel won her way onto the team of four after placing second in a-gruelling 160km qualifying event held in Victoria last year.

At only 24, she is one of the youngest Australian riders to win a sponsored place in the competition. The one-day 160km Dubai race is run through the heat and sands of the desert.

Rachel has never been overseas or ridden in the desert, but appears undaunted by the challenge.

"My goal for the race is completion," she said.

Strict vet checks during endurance races mean that even the fittest of horse and rider can be disqualified over minor problems with the animal, which is examined at regular intervals for lameness, dehydration and increased heart rate, among other things.

Strapping for Rachel is Ron Haigh, of Jiggi, who won Australia's premier endurance race The Quilty, on more than one occasion.

His horse, Kymmim Park Sadim (Sardie) was supposed to have been ridden by Rachel in the Dubai race, but due to quarantine, it was unable to travel out of Australia. It almost put an end to Rachel competing, until she was offered the ride on another Australian horse already in Dubai.