Sports News

Hook, Line and Sinker with Lindsay Doust

Well, lets call it crash(ed)-tackle

It seems at the moment that I am following a disappointing trail. After the Gold Cost Show of the previous weekend, it was off to the Brisbane Tinnie and Tackle Show, and once again, compared to last year, the show was very average. There were very few canoes to look at, heaps of aluminium boats but once you've seen a few different styles you have seen them all.

The fishing tackle was virtually non-existent, except for two or three stands selling rubbish brought in from overseas and the quality of these was very ordinary by any standard.

There is nothing like quality and the cost of quality these days is quite reasonable. Quality fishing tackle comes with warranties and provide good service for many years to come, if maintained. We see lots of fishing reels that come in to us badly corroded and with bearings and other parts seized, simply because they were not rinsed under a freshwater tap after each saltwater use. Every now and then we find a customer who wants to buy a reel that is maintenance free, but there is no such thing, just as there is no such thing as a maintenance-free car. One would not consider buying a new car and never having it washed and serviced. Fishing reels are used in a far worse environment.

The bream and whiting continue in the Richmond River. Certainly a lot of the bream are of the small size but every now and then a nice fish is mixed with them. The whiting being caught off the North Wall at Ballina are of particular good quality. Once again it is fresh yabbies that are taking the most fish.

Down the beach way, I've had some reports that the tailor are showing up in increasingly good numbers and there have been some nice catches recently on lures. If one is able to get outside despite the weather head for Evans Head, go south and you should be in luck with some nice mackerel.

Former Norths junior takes Souths to title

Souths wrecker Craig Bateman, who capped off an outstanding year with the ball by bagging six wickets in the grand final against Norths Goonellabah RSL on Saturday.

Paul McLean, who spent time as a junior cricketer with Norths before moving to Sydney to play first grade for Gordon, was the player of the match in the Hooker League grand final between Souths and Norths Goonellabah RSL on Saturday.

Ironically McLean's match-winning innings of 76 helped Souths to win their second Hooker League crown over his former club.

After winning the toss Souths decided to bat and were soon in trouble on the traditionally troublesome Oakes Oval wicket after losing two wickets with just four runs on the board. Enter McLean. He patiently set about knocking up 76 runs helping Souths to a meagre total of just 130.

After struggling to meet a similar target last week Norths were looking good at 3-49. However, the wickets started tumbling and five runs later they were eight down for 51. The game seemed to be all but over until a rain interruption had the players off the field for about an hour on Sunday.

On resumption Norths tail-enders Steve Lockhart (25) and Daniel Hughes (21) put their heads down to try and rescue the situation. They duly became the second and third batsmen respectively to reach double figures for the match - a possible poor reflection on the standard of play, but more likely a testament to the questionable quality of the Oakes Oval pitch.

Souths stars with the ball were, once again, Craig Bateman (6-42 off 31.3 overs) and Les Blok (4-22 off 22). The pick of the bowlers for Norths was sometime-angler John Bryant who returned a five-wicket bag-limit.

The ongoing problems with the Oakes Oval pitch must be a major concern for local cricket officials with the Australian Country Cricket Championships to be held in Lismore during January next year.

The Oakes Oval ground staff regularly performs miracles given the resources at their disposal. What is required is for the pitch to be reconstructed from scratch to overcome the endemic problems brought about after the last time the pitch was re-laid. To do that the LDSA (Lismore District Sports Association) would need to close the ground for a period of time, cutting into the soccer season bookings for the ground.

Only three flags to go

After the penultimate round of the pennant season there are now only three divisions that have yet to be decided. Casino have had a strong season throughout the division and their six-nil result over East Lismore in the top grade was enough to take the Number One pennant.

Evans Head have had an excellent season having won Second division and leading in Grades Five and Seven-A.

Other winners include South Lismore in Division Three, Alstonville I in Division Four and Ballina in Division Seven-B.

One of the closest Divisions is Number Five in which Evans Head (38.5), Casino RSM (37) and Lismore Workers Heights (36) are separated by just 2.5 points. In Seven-B Alstonville can catch Ballina by winning their head to head this Saturday with a 6-nil result. However, if that happens it will still not be enough to dislodge Ballina, as they would win on a countback.

Lismore City is calling for teams to nominate for the club's Annual Greenkeepers Day to be held at the club next Tuesday. Also, City's major Pairs and Singles championship nominations are closing this Sunday, with nominations to be forwarded by phone, fax or in person.

Pennant Round Nine

Division 1

Alstonville 5 d Lennox Head 1; Ballina 5 d South Lismore 1; Casino RSM 6 d East Lismore 0. Pennant: Casino RSM - 38.5 pts.

Division 2

Ballina RSL 5 d Lismore City 1; Casino RSM 5 d Lismore W/H 1; Evans Head 6 d Ballina 0. Pennant: Evans Head - 48 pts.

Division 3

Ballina 3.5 d Lennox Head 2.5; Broadwater 6 d Kyogle 0; South Lismore 5 d Evans Head 1. Pennant: South Lismore 45.5 pts.

Division 4

Alstonville I 6 d Woodburn 0; Ballina RSL 5 d Alstonville II 1; East Lismore 5 d Lismore W/H 1. Pennant: Alstonville I - 47.5 pts.

Division 5

Evans Head 6 d Ballina RSL 0; Lismore W/H 5.5 d Lennox Head 0.5; Casino RSM 5 d Bonalbo 1. Leading team: Evans Head - 38.5 pts.

Division 6

South Lismore 5 d Lismore City 1; Ballina 4 d Ballina RSL 2; Kyogle 5 d Nimbin 1; Leading team: Kyogle - 34.5.

Division 7A

South Lismore 6 d Lismore W/H 0; Evans Head 3.5 d Kyogle 2.5; Lismore RSL 6 d Casino RSM 0. Leading team: Evans Head - 40.5 pts.

Division 7B

Alstonville 6 d East Lismore 0; Ballina 5.5 d Casino RSM 0.5. Pennant: Ballina 34 pts.

NSW title double header

Robbie Bolger's Jet Car, boasting 3,600 pounds of thrust from its Rolls Royce Viper Jet engine. "I don't need to crush the cars, I melt them!" said an enthusiastic Bolger.

The Lismore Speedway will be host two state championships this Saturday night. The NSW Street Stockers and the NSW Streeter titles will accompany the annual 'feast of destruction' that is better known as Machinery Wars.

The defending Street Stocker champion, Grafton's Geoff Hayes, will encounter stiff competition from the local Lismore drivers with back to back Australian champion Bryan Mackney sure to be a major threat.

The Streeter brigade will also do battle this Saturday night when they too contest their NSW title. This Saturday night will also see the Machinery Wars wreak havoc at the speedway. Bulldozers, excavators, front-end loaders and bobcats will seek to totally annihilate cars and caravans in a scramble for points until a winner is declared.

Netball to run two divisions at the top

Trail games were completed last Saturday for the upcoming Lismore Netball season. With the draw to be released later this week it seems certain that the top flight will be divided into two divisions of six teams each.

Results from the main trial games held last Saturday saw Breakaways, Daleys and Daleys Tribes all have victories, as did a young Woodlawn Herons team over the Number one Southern Cross University side.

Casino is in the money

The Southern Cross University Rugby Union Ten's Tournament held on Saturday at the Maurie Ryan Field was full of fierce competition from the outset. Casino's Dave Schneider (pictured) found that his first competition day for 2004 lasted just two minutes. But his pain was eased after his return from the hospital outpatient ward by seeing his team overcome Lismore City 12-0 in the final to take out the prize-money.

The play off for third and fourth place was played between the SCU Gold Rats and Wollongbar, with the Rats convincing 45-0 winners. 

Gold Rats president, Tim Breen, thought the day was a good way to kick off a season of fast flowing rugby. "The support was great and the boys performed well. We are all looking forward to the first home game which is in a few weeks time." Breen said.

Cribb and Mitchell win title by two

The NRDGA Foursomes Championships were held at Coraki on Sunday over 27 holes. Greg Cribb from Casino teamed up with Brenton Mitchell of Ocean Shores to take out the 2004 title with a total of 113, two strokes ahead of B Dean (Casino) and L Henwood (Maclean). They came in at the head of a 92-strong field in wet conditions that made the greens run slow and true. Casino's home course advantage was more than enough to overcome the two match advantage Kyogle took into the final round of the Digger Roberts Jug.

The visitors could only manage to win 2 matches to the 11 won by Casino, which gave the Digger Roberts Jug to Casino 15 matches to eight.

Semi places decided

Wednesday night's game between Casino and Italo Stars (as this paper goes to press) has determined the last place available in the semi-finals of the Anzac Cup. If Casino can overcome Stars by four or more goals they will advance at Ballina's expense. Rovers made the semis after a 1-1 draw against Maclean. Workers joined Byron in the semis by winning 5-1 over Bangalow.

The finalist positions in the Callan McMillan Shield will also be determined on Wednesday night.

Workers will play Casino while Rovers will line up against Lennox Head.

Although they lost 3-nil to Woodburn Ballina has qualified through to the finals.

Rematch of final for season opener

A replay of last season's grand final will mark the opening weekend of the 2004 Rex Airlines Major League Baseball season at this weekend with a rematch of the 2003 grand final between Workers and Brothers.

Workers have built up a strong line up for the 2004 season while Brothers, the defending premiers, have lost almost half of their number one team.

Workers are still smarting from their loss in the Premiership decider in 2003, after having pulled off two strong wins against Brothers in the final round of regular season.

In the other game Norths will take on the revitalised Easts Redbirds outfit in what may well prove a tight encounter.

Title-holder back to defend in 2004

The magnificent 18th fairway, a feature of the superb Lismore layout. Greenkeeper Chris Haselden and his staff worked like Trojans throughout the 2002-2003 drought to maintain the standard of the course. So successful were they that it is impossible to detect any damage from the months of parching sun that the course had to endure. On the day that the above photo was taken the temperature was nudging 40 degrees but the course responded magnificently, allowing Michelle Ellis and Kane Webber to put on a superb display of golf for the appreciative gallery.

Ian Noble of Keperra Club in Queensland has confirmed that he will be coming to Lismore to defend the Lismore Easter Open/Richmond River Amateur Championship title that he won last year.

The 54-hole Open is the feature of the Lismore Easter Golf Carnival, held annually at the Lismore Workers Club Golf Club.

Other events will include the junior Easter championship, also over 54 holes, and the 36-hole Les Mancell Cup for the over-50's.

The carnival begins on Good Friday when the open and junior events commence with the over-50's joining them on the course for play on Saturday and Sunday for both gross and nett trophies.

A feature of the Easter carnival is that it caters for both the local golfer and visitor by allowing players to choose to play on just one day, for two days, or for the whole three rounds. Players can fit their golf around their other commitments, or their endurance levels, allowing them to pick and choose what days they will nominate to play. Each day will be treated the same as a traditional Saturday competition round with lots of trophies up for grabs each day. The daily events help to make the carnival a particularly popular event for the players, with a large core of sponsors contributing an impressive array of trophies.

After last year's Pro-Am there can be no doubt that Lismore can certainly put on a quality golf tournament. The Centenary Pro-Am, which featured USPGA champion Wayne Grady and a host of other professionals, was voted the best Pro-Am on the Queensland PGA circuit for the year 2003.

More than 50 players with a handicap of four or less were in the Easter Open field last year, including two-time winner and former Casino member, Robert Penman.

This year's line up already boasts some outstanding talent, including numerous players who have earned handicaps of three of less.

Lismore's challenge will be led by teenager Rhein Gibson who recently competed in the Australian Amateur Championship in Adelaide, making the cut into the second phase of the stroke play section.

Joining him from Lismore will be Steve Morrissey and Nathan Scroope. Other Plus-three or under golfers that have already confirmed their place in the field include Mal Huth (Windaroo), Ross Ollerenshaw (Fox Hills), Neil Bullen (Ballina), Gary Wright, Brad Curtis, Andy Muldoon, Richard Cross (Tweed Heads), Matt Farley, Josh Greenwood, Matt Mulholland and Rod Piltz (Newcastle). Fellow Keperra golfers Daniel Butler and Matt Dowling will also join Ian Noble in the 54-hole event.

The carnival will be overseen by Lismore Club secretary Phil Kelly. On hand will be club professional, Peter Jaeger, who will also be available for stroke correction before the start of play each day.

Entries are still being accepted for all Lismore Workers Golf Club Easter Golf Carnival events. Just call the club on 6621 6016 to register your nomination.