Sports News

Hook, Line and Sinker with Lindsay Doust

Rains mean the good times are on their way

Sean Davis picked up this 18.5 kilogram Yellow Tail while practicing the most dangerous sport in the world - land-based game fishing. Sean pulled in this beauty while fishing, literally, off Seal Rocks. How do we know that rock fishing is the world's most dangerous? Ask an insurance assessor.

The rains of last week will make a huge difference to saltwater fishing. It will make bass fishing a little slow in the immediate days but already there are nice catches of bream being taken around the walls in Ballina during the day in the dirty water. The jew anglers are waiting with their lures for the jew to come in, as they begin to feed on the mullet at the mouth of the river. The coloured water should also provide nice blackfish on yabbies.

The good news is on Toonumbar Dam, which has filled to 98%. The fill was steady and no water went over the spillway, so no fish were lost. At this stage the water is a little cloudy and it may be a few days before the fishing for bass comes good, but it should be good - very good.

The camping ground at Bells Bay, Toonumbar Dam, is due to be mown by Kyogle Council, although this has not happened yet. Day trips are recommended until then. Remember, there is a speed limit for boats on the dam, fishing licences are required, and, there is a daily take bag limit of two.

The Richmond Valley Anglers Action Group has been appointed by the Federal Government to enter into negotiations with the aboriginal people on native title land claims. There are already nine claims covering areas we regularly fish. This could rise to 11. We will be involved in mediation proceedings for an area from the Clarence to the Queensland border and hopefully will be able to reach agreements that will be acceptable to all parties.

Eagles, Plovers and Mr Bogie - golf is for the birds

They came from near and far to tee up for Red Cross last weekend. The annual $250,000 Red Cross hole-in-one challenge was held at Mortimer Oval with golfers and novices lining up side-by-side to have a crack at the 'big one'. No one was able to fire an ace but it was all in the name of a good cause. Charles McGrath of Adelaide (pictured) said (with a wry grin on his face) that he had come all the way to Lismore just for this event. How did he go? "Shocking, but I had a good time".

As most golfers are aware, an albatross, or even an eagle, can often be as impressive as a hole-in-one. Such was the case at Ballina in B grade competition on Wednesday. Peter Salgram took a 3 wood to the tee on the par-5 488 metre 13th - 'The Dam Hole'. Then followed a 4 iron that even Peter said was not hit very well. This left him a 150-metre approach shot to reach the green. Calmly he pulled out his 6-iron and slotted the ball into the hole and Peter was on his way to winning B grade. For good measure Peter also won the nearest-the-pin award on the 14th green.

It was a case of throw away the chaff and bring on the Oat(en)s at Lismore on Saturday. Playing in the four person Ambrose event brothers Mick and Mark Oaten combined with Matthew Watson and Arthur Fogarty to score 52.5 points and claim victory.

The brothers have a lot in common, working through the week together at Retravision, Casino, as well as forming a playing partnership on the course.

Younger brother, Mick, 22, puts all of the credit in Marks lap. "It's not a bad partnership. We get on pretty well. Mark's the one that's been playing for quite a while. He's been playing more consistently and on a regular basis for the past three years."

Mick, playing off 25, is only a recent addition to the game having picked up the sticks seriously only twelve months ago, while Mark, 40, off 16, has been guiding little brother through (and sometimes into) the traps.

Visitors to Woodburn Evans Head will know about the Plover's Nest on the fifth hole. The idea is that you try to put your ball within a metre of the hole. If you miss then you drop a ball into the 'nest'. The first person to land their shot within the target wins the nest of balls. It can go for weeks without the nest being cleared out. So, up steps Jim Bogie on Thursday in the veterans competition. Belying his name he all-but sunk his tee shot to take out the prize.

Ballina

Wed 25 Feb

Overall: Norman Heyhorn

A Grade: N Streckfuss

B Grade Peter Salgram

C Grade Michael McNamara

Fri 27 Feb

John Kuhn

Sat 28 Feb

Overall: Craig Austen

A Grade: Winners A Scott Hamilton

B Grade: Geoffrey Deveson

C Grade: Dave Mackie

Mon 1 Mar

Veterans: (9) Ian Miles

Veterans: (18) Ian Miles

Casino

Thurs 26 Feb

Bill Stanford

Sat 28 Feb

A Grade: John Riggall

B Grade: Greg Northfield

C Grade: Jeremy Scofield

Coraki

Sat 28 Feb

T Clark, G Dutton, J Nelson, G Roberts.

Lismore

Sat 28 Feb

Mick Oaten, Mark Oaten, Matthew Watson and Arthur Fogarty.

Woodburn Evans Head

Wed 25 Feb - Ladies

A Grade: Nancy Webb

B Grade: Helen Savins

Thurs 26 Feb - Veterans

A Grade: Jim Clark

B Grade: Dick Boland

Sat 28 Feb

Overall: Gildo Pagotto and James Pagotto

Ladies: Betty O'Grady

Casino pulls off 'technical' tie

Southern Districts Andrew Nind narrowly misses being bowled by Brothers Steve Prosser early in his innings at Oakes Oval on Saturday. Nind went on to make 22 runs, helping Souths record a six-wicket victory over Brothers and almost certainly securing the southerners a place in the finals.

The Casino Cavaliers remain undefeated in the two-day game this season after pulling off a stunning first innings tie against Alstonville at Hill Park Oval on Saturday.

Technically a first innings equilibrium between teams is not a tie - but whose quibbling?

It looked as though Casino were headed for defeat after being dismissed for just 108 runs on the first day of the game the previous weekend. To make matters worse Alstonville had already knocked off 44 of the required 109 for the loss of just one wicket by stumps on the first day with in-form batsman Greg Potter at the crease with Derek Partridge.

But the rot set in immediately once play resumed. With no addition to the overnight score Potter became speedster Al Nowan's second wicket of a 5-46 effort. Adam Shield chipped in with 2-6 as did Wade Sweeney (2-16). In the end Alstonville could consider themselves lucky to have scraped through with a tie, having lost wickets at 80, 88, 94, 94, 102 and 102 before Nowan bowled S Petty for 1 to force the tie.

As 108 is regarded as a sacred number by Hindus, Catholics and Buddhists there should be an all-points-bulletin put out for a Brahmin devotee of St Thomas carrying prayer flags who must be lost somewhere on the north coast after Lennox Head also crumbled for just 108 on Saturday. Set 192 by Norths Goonellabah RSL at Saunders Oval they didn't look like they would bother the scorer at all for a while. The first three wickets fell without a run on the board.

Easts completed an expected outright victory against the poorly performed Brunswick Valley. The feature of the day was an unlucky 99 by Brunswick opening bat Lachlan McKenzie, whose lone hand was not enough to keep the hungry Easts squad at bay.

Tintenbar East Ballina claimed local bragging rights against Ballina at Fripp Oval after a season that has been disappointing for both clubs. With one round remaining Tintenbar could still snatch a place in the finals if they can pick up a win against Alstonville.

Souths gave their season a boost with victory over Marist Brothers at Oakes Oval. Set 134 runs the southerners easily reached the target with contributions from most of the top order. A win against Brunswick will guarantee Souths a place in the finals.

Hooker League Ladder

Casino 58, Easts 52, Norths Goonellabah RSL 41, Souths 38, Alstonville 36, Tintenbar East Ballina 35, Marist Brothers 31, Ballina 21, Lennox Head 16, Brunswick Valley 8.

Round Nine

Tintenbar East Ballina v Alstonville (Kingsford Smith Oval); Souths v Brunswick Valley (Thompson Oval); Norths Goonellabah RSL v Easts (Oakes Oval); Marist Brothers v Ballina (Fripp Oval); Lennox Head v Casino (Queen Elizabeth Park).

Cup to bring rural community together

Mention the fact that the Coraki Cup is on this Saturday to members of the farming community and they will likely produce a broad, satisfied smile. Over the last four years, as the region suffered once again from the ravages of drought, there have been two Coraki Cup cancellations due to rain, including last year.

That makes this Saturday's Coraki Cup at the Lismore racecourse the perfect opportunity for the farming community to get together and celebrate the end of the drought.

The Coraki Cup, now in its third decade, was one of the earliest of the Country Cup series races to be held in Lismore.

But, of course, with an event like this it is not just the horseflesh that features. The traditional Cup-eve Calcutta evening, from 6.30pm at the Bottom Pub (the Coraki Hotel), is one of the most entertaining evenings on the north coast. The following day Coraki based racegoers will be able to take advantage of a race-bus that will leave the Hotel at 11.30am. Bus bookings should be made at the earliest convenience to the Coraki Hotel on 6683 2062.

Women and children first (for soccer)

The drift of soccer power towards the coast that has become apparent on the Far North Coast over the past 24 months is not set in concrete.

So say the folks down at the Lismore Workers Club Soccer Club. After adjusting their membership fees to allow for greater discounts to those with more than one player in the family their junior sign-on figures have jumped an incredible 25% this season.

This year the club will run a team in every non-competitive age group from Six Years though to Nine Years, with two sides in the Nine's. In the competitive age brackets their numbers have risen so much that they have had to establish three additional teams, in the 10 Years, 12 Years Girls, and 16 Years competitions.

Soccer Far North Coast is still to get final numbers in for the coming season but they are getting a strong indication that there is a jump in women's playing numbers this season. This season there are already 25 senior women's teams nominated, already more than for 2003, with the strong possibility of an additional three or four teams to register. There is also a jump in teams registering for the girls 12 and 14 years competitions.

Workers birthday net widens

The search for the original members of the Lismore Workers Club Cricket Club to help celebrate the club's 40th anniversary has expanded.

After a recent article in The Echo a number of the pioneers have been located. Now the search is on for all of those who have played with the club in the intervening period.

The club will be holding a big celebration in conjunction with its annual awards night and they are looking to bring together as many of the former Workers Club players as they can.

Former players, or those with information on how to contact former players should phone club secretary Chris Axtens on 6621 6015 or vice-president Bernie McDonald on 6621 3495.

Robbo to push Hearne for Ring-King title

Stuart Hearne will be looking for revenge this Saturday night at the Lismore Speedway. Racing in the V8 Modified feature in Brisbane last weekend the six-time national champion had his colours lowered by Mark Robinson after a titanic tussle.

Robinson, piloting his Ford, will be at Lismore this Saturday, as will Hearne, for the V8 Dirt Modified King of the Ring challenge. The one-on-one knockout competition will see all of the big names of Australian speedway up against each other in a format that allows no one to hide.

Although it is fair to say that Hearne's Chevvie will not be hiding on the night. He is not a racer who takes a loss lightly.

The undercard features the ongoing series battles in the Production Cars, Stockers, Streeters, 4 Cylinders, Juniors and Club Sedans.

Familiar names to the fore in Triples

The first and second rounds of the District Triples Championship were held on Sunday with some familiar names getting through to the quarterfinals.

In the top half of the draw David Ball and Brian Nixon, members of the recently crowned District champion four from Casino, combined with K McAlaster to sweep through to the final eight. Lurking in the bottom half of the draw are Evans Head's Mark Lavelle, Rod Greentree and E Butler. Greentree and Lavelle were members of the four that went down to David Ball's four in the district final a fortnight ago. Interestingly Lavelle and Greentree had to overcome their fellow District-four team members Barry Mallett and Bill Cooper (with B King) in the second round of the triples. The quarterfinals will be held at Lennox Head at 9am on Sunday, March 7.

A reminder that the District Pairs and Reserve Pairs nominations close at 6pm on Saturday, March 6.

Pennant Round Five

Grade One: Ballina 6 d Lennox Head 0; East Lismore 4 d Alstonville 2; South Lismore 4.5 d Casino 1.5. Leading team: Casino RSM 23.5pts.

Grade Two: Lismore City 5 d Lismore Workers Heights 1; Evans Head 6 d Casino 0; Ballina 6 d Ballina RSL 0. Leading team: Evans Head 24.

Grade Three: South Lismore 5 d Lennox head 1; Kyogle 6 d Ballina 0; Evans Head 5 d Broadwater 1. Leading team: South Lismore 23.5.

Grade Four: Lismore Workers Heights 6 d Alstonville II 0; Alstonville I 5 d Ballina RSL 1; East Lismore 5 d Woodburn 1. Leading team: Alstonville I 23.5.

Grade Five: Casino 5.5 d Lennox Head 0.5; Bonalbo 4 d Ballina RSL 2; Evans head 5 d Lismore Workers Heights 1. Leading team: Casino RSM 22.

Grade Six: Ballina 5 d Nimbin 1; Ballina RSL 5 d South Lismore 1; Kyogle 5 d Lismore City 1. Leading team: Kyogle 24.5.

Grade Seven-A: South Lismore 4 d Lismore RSL 2; Casino 6 d Kyogle 0; Evans Head 5 d Lismore Workers Heights 1. Leading team: Casino RSM 23

Grade Seven-B: Ballina 5 d Alstonville 1; Casino 5 d Evans Head 1; East Lismore - bye. Leading team: Ballina 23.