Sports News
 Hook, Line and Sinker
Sorry about my absence last week; I was unable to get my article in from north of Weipa, where eight keen anglers spent a week chasing fish that inhabit the rivers and creeks of Cape York. Species caught included barramundi, mangrove jack, threadfin and bluefin salmon, golden snapper, mackeral, tuna, trevally, queenfish, cod and more. The trip took us to within 50kms of the tip of Cape York and the rivers fished were the Jackson, Skardow, Namalita Creek, Ducie, Dulhunty and outside of Weipa itself. Some pictures will follow over the next few weeks.
The best report I have locally is of good tailor coming from the beaches south of Ballina to Evans Head. Lures have proved very successful. It is a good sign that our winter species run is beginning. Hopefully our bream and blackfish will not be far behind.
 Call of the Loon with Laurie Axtens
Lismore: latrine or sporting capital?
As one of my very capable contemporaries recently pointed out, a couple of big rugby league games do not make Lismore a sporting capital. On the contrary.
Lismore City Council has spent over $60,000 to bring us two league games - monies that could have and should have been spent updating our local sporting infrastructure.
Toilet facilities at virtually every ground have been neglected, grants promised for infrastructure have been seriously delayed and sports committee meetings have been ignored and cancelled for months on end. Is this the way a sporting capital should be run?
It's more than just s#!thouse, it's lazy and arrogant to squeeze out these little parcels of entertainment in lieu of some real and necessary public works.
The Council is touting a figure of $250,000 as the spin off for local businesses from this week's City vs Country match. Bully for them. Meanwhile Council, who has spent up big on the venue, receive nothing. On Monday when the promoters are banking their substantial windfall the city will be just a little deeper in debt.
I wonder did the sports community expect this kind of advocacy when it helped elect chairman Chant? Did we expect that while all the other Council committees were still meeting, the Lismore District Sports Association (LDSA) would lie idle for six months while work stalled on several infrastructure projects? Did we expect that the LDSA monthly meetings would again be put on hold (as they are now) while the Council selects a new set of delegates for the new committee? I don't think so. It's just another delay while the circus is in town.
There is no doubt Lismore has an embarrassment of sporting riches. We have an Australian cricket vice captain, a host of national swimmers, kayakers, footy players and even an international champion model helicopter pilot. But the councillors and their media officers are pulling the wool over their own eyes if they think that this makes us a sporting capital.
To be a sporting capital we need to do capital works. To be a real sporting capital we require a major venue capable of carrying at least 20,000 people, not 8000 (ie. the Coffs Harbour International Stadium - where the Wallabies are based). We require adequate lighting and watering facilities, the provision of shade trees, car barriers, and toilets at all our grounds - that's the bottom line, so to speak.
If Council wants to make Lismore a true sporting capital it needs to get serious and put some money into concrete rather than just beer and circuses.
Ladies Bowls
With Denise Wallace
The 2005 pennant season has almost finished with only a No. 3 grade sectional play-off this week left to decide the winner between Lennox Head 1 and Lismore Workers Heights.
All other grades have completed their season with Casino taking out the No. 1 pennant from Ballina. In the No. 2 pennant Lismore Workers Heights finished off Ballina RSL's run. The No. 4 pennant winner was Lennox Head with Casino RSM the runner up. The No. 5 winner was Evans Head with Ballina the runner up. All winning pennant sides (excluding No. 5's) will travel to Forster/Tuncurry area to compete in the group play-offs from May 23-27.
The district singles competition is fast approaching with 29 entries from around the area. This is played from May 10-17 at various clubs around Lismore.
Northern Rivers district will be host to the State 4's play-off on May 12. This will be played at South Lismore Bowling Club with district 4's winners from Mid-North Coast, Clarence River, Tweed/Byron and Northern Rivers eligible to compete. Stella Kelly and team of Helen Tootell, Betty Armitage and Hester Miller, of Ballina Bowling Club, will represent the Northern Rivers. The winning team from this level will compete in Sydney from September 10-11 for the state title.
District pairs winner, Bev Conroy and Thelma Fredericks of South Lismore Bowling Club, will travel to Woolgoolga on May 30 to compete at group level. If successful they will be off to Sydney to play at state level from September 14-15.
Daley saves the day
 Josh Daley's singular performance in Workers victory over the Mudgeeraba Redsox was extraordinary. Daley hammered in seven of Workers nine runs while pitching the entire nine innings match and striking out nine batters.
Josh Daley put in a blinder for Workers Club in the Interleague competition on Saturday as the local premiers came home hard to beat the Gold Coast's premier team, the Mudgeeraba Redsox, 9-7.
Daley clubbed two massive home runs over left field during the game, one of which was a grand-slam, and sacrificed a fly to right field to bat in seven of Workers' nine runs. If that wasn't enough the big fella also pitched the entire game. It was an amazing singular display.
The game got underway when Shane Thompson's three bagger got the Redsox away to a 2-nil lead in the first. Matt Studeman's double scored another as the Redsox pulled away 3-nil in the third.
Daley rectified the situation for Workers at the bottom of the third when he grand-slammed over left field to give the locals a 4-3 lead.
A brace of walks, steals and singles during the next three innings gave the Redsox a 7-4 lead as Daley started to look a bit tired on the mound. The Redsox were stealing at will on Daley's big wind up.
But again he came to the rescue for Workers with another monstrous home run in the bottom of the seventh as Workers drew to within one run of the Redsox.
Redsox changed their pitcher in the eighth, bringing on Jamie Wooldridge. It didn't work. Wooldridge filled them up with walks and hit pitch walks and then Wayne Devlin smacked a double to centre field. Devlin finished the game with an excellent pirouetting double play from shortstop and a simple out at first.
In the two other matches the Far North Coast teams got the better of their Gold Coast opponents.
The rise and rise of the Redbirds
Easts Redbirds out played Robina 4-1 on Thew Field on Saturday to register their second win in a row and their third for the year. This is no fluke. The Redbirds are back - they're young, they're keen and they're developing a culture of winning.
The game against the Robina Braves did get heated late in the match when Robina frustrations boiled over into a small altercation out at first. The push and shove managed to empty the Braves dugout but nothing came of it.
Brothers completed the local clean sweep with a 12-10 victory over the Runaway Bay Dolphins at Runaway Bay.
This Saturday Workers play Easts on Thew Field and Norths play Brothers to see which team carries the competition can on Baxter Field. Both games get underway at 2.45pm.
Ballina gets the better of Lismore - FNC Rugby Union
Is Lismore City's strength also their weakness? City's loose forwards are some of the best in the competition but they were outplayed by Ballina's back row on Saturday at Quay Reserve as the Seahorses prevailed 15-10.
Heath Conlon, James Olivier and Ray Taylor are usually City's engine room but Danny Lickiss, Liam Preston and Paul Woods dismantled that engine; disrupting the flow of the ball, pilfering possession and tackling their hearts out.
Out at Wollongbar, the Pioneers continued on their winning ways, thumping out a hard fought win over the SCU Gold Rats 8-5. In what was basically a forwards battle, the Pioneers eventually out- muscled the students.
In Grafton the Redmen stage-managed their first win of the season against bottom of the comp team Yamba 16-6. Yamba have tried desperately to match it in the top flight but are yet to get a win. It could be a long year for the men in gold.
It has been a courageous step up from third grade for Yamba and though they have managed to hold the established teams for most of their games, they tend to drop off by the end of the game.
Round 6 draw:
Grafton hosts Wollongbar
Yamba hosts Casino
Lismore hosts SCU
Ballina bye
Regional hockey underway - Hockey
The Burringbar Waratahs answered any questions about their depth when they sliced Coraki to ribbons 4-1 in the opening match of the Inter Regional hockey competition at Hepburn Park on Saturday.
The Waratahs had lost stalwarts Neville and Kevin Newell from last year's squad but this just made room for the young guns to put on a show.
Waratahs' Matt Butturini, Tim Willis and Dwayne Newell were instrumental in orchestrating the blistering display.
Coraki's defensive combination kept the men from the range quiet for most of the first half but as the game wore on the Waratahs' younger legs ran riot.
In the other Lismore game Allstars found the return to the regional competition a difficult task when they went down to East Lismore 3-1. Easts keep their structure well and always defend stoutly. This drew Allstars forward in numbers, opening the way for Easts to score against the run of play. Easts went to the break 1-nil up.
Stung into action, Allstars lifted after half time to even the score, but as the game progressed Easts' structure started to dominate play. Daniel Hughes celebrated his return to the Easts line-up with two late goals to put the game out of reach for the Allstars.
Would-be competition minnows Murwillumbah Taipans stretched local premiers Ballina in a fast but disorganised encounter, only to go down 5-4. Billed as easy beats, the blokes from the caldera took it to their more favoured opposition with real verve. Ballina have been struggling to sure up their defences of late but still seem to be sneaking away with wins. That's the sign of a champion team.
FNC Over 45s
The Far North Coast Over 45 men's hockey team went down fighting to Sutherland/St George 1-nil in the final of the A-Division Veteran Championships in Bathurst last month.
Hamstrung by injuries and late pull outs, the locals managed to make the finals after disposing of Grafton and Lithgow during the preliminary rounds and then knocking off Illawarra in the semi final.
Although the local side fell at the final hurdle, they were rewarded with three selections in the NSW Over 45 representative sides. Warren Jenkins was selected as vice-captain of the NSW Over 45 No. 1 team, where he joins team mate Paul Leadbeatter. FNC newcomer Steve Hunter was selected in the NSW Over 45 No. 2 team.
Hockey honours
 Daniel Riley U15 Rep in his new Country team jacket.
Local player Daniel Riley has been selected in the Under 15 Country hockey team after an excellent showing during the North Coast Academy's talent and development camp in Goulburn recently.
In addition to Daniel's representative honours, Far North Coast player Erin McKenzie picked up the team medal in the Under 14s in Tamworth, as did local Sonia Martin during the Under 13s camp in Bathurst.
The talent and development camps are part of the Academy's extended program for junior hocket players for this year.
Daniel, Sonia and Erin are part of a large Far North Coast contingent in the North Coast Academy team.
A train in Lismore!
For footy fans that is...
Lismore footy fans will be able to put themselves right in the middle of big league footy action when the National Rugby League Road Train hits town this week for the City vs Country match.
The Road Train will be at Oakes Oval between 10am and 2pm today (Thursday, May 5), where City vs Country players will also be training and signing autographs.
The Road Train will also be open just before the City vs Country game this Friday, May 6, at 4pm, giving fans the chance to participate in a host of interactive rugby league activities, see priceless memorabilia, win great prizes and even meet some players.
Interactive entertainment on the Road Train includes games such as Video Ref, where visitors can make the final decision based on watching game footage. There's also a be-a-trainer animated activity hosted by Knights hooker Danny Buderus and the popular 'Call the Game' commentator's amusement.
The Road Train will also be celebrating 25 years of State of Origin on its journey and visitors will be able to enter the Greatest Moments in State of Origin competition with lots of prizes on offer.
Activities at the Road Train are free. Tickets for the City vs Country match have now sold out.
Game on
City has been hit hard before Friday night's City vs Country match at Oakes Oval with the loss of Melbourne play maker Matt Orford and the Dragons inspirational centre Mark Gasnier, after injuries on the weekend ruled them out of the contest. Brent Sherwin will replace Orford. This will bring together a Bulldogs pivot pairing of Braith Anasta and Sherwin, which will spell danger for Country.
Country has also suffered losses with Matt Cooper, Timana Tahu and Brent Kite all ruled out for the bushies. They will be replaced by Newcastle centre Matt Gidley, Sharks winger Luke Covell and Parramatta prop Paul Stringer.
The superstar packed sides are now as follows:
City: 1. Brett Hodgson (Tigers), 2. Hazem El Masri (Bulldogs), 3. Luke Lewis (Panthers), 4. Ryan Cross (Roosters), 5. Eric Grothe (Eels), 6. Braith Anasta (Bulldogs), 7. Brent Sherwin (Bulldogs), 8. Joel Clinton (Panthers), 9. Craig Gower - capt. (Panthers), 10. Jason Stevens (Sharks), 11. Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles), 12. Luke O'Donnell (Cowboys), 13. Steve Menzies (Sea Eagles). Interchange: Reni Maitua (Bulldogs), John Skandalis (Tigers), Mark Riddell (Eels), Jason King (Sea Eagles).
Country: 1. Ben Hornby (Dragons), 2. Amos Roberts (Roosters), 3. Matt Gidley (Knights), 4. Matt King (Storm), 5. Luke Covell (Sharks), 6. Scott Hill (Storm), 7. Trent Barrett (Dragons), 8. Luke Bailey (Dragons), 9. Danny Buderus - capt. (Knights), 10. Jason Ryles (Dragons), 11. Steve Simpson (Knights), 12. Andrew Ryan (Bulldogs), 13. Glenn Morrison (Eels). Interchange: Anthony Tupou (Roosters), Paul Stringer (Eels), Ben Creagh (Dragons), Preston Campbell (Panthers).
A new badge of umpires
We call a group of lions a pride and a bunch of crows a murder, but what do you call a group of umpires? An umbrage? Well this new umbrage of Far North Coast referees were awarded their umpiring badges on Sunday at the South Lismore Bowling Club. Pictured is local trainer Greg Smith (rear left), FNC organiser Brian Jones (front left) and NSW Association representative David Dilley (front right) with new inductees (rear l-r) Peter Pascutto, Peter Koskela, Rick Jones, Adrian Schooth and Wes Koskela, and (front l-r) Paul Frangos and Robert Wheather.
Inspirational local umpire Neville Haywood sporting the NSW Umpires Association Medal, which he won in Sydney this year.
Keeping the sheets clean
 Goonellabah's Adam Barnes ushers the ball over the backline despite the attentions of young Thistles striker, Luke Edwards, at Thistles Park on Sunday.
One of the region's best goalkeepers, Lucas Wagland, can't get a game. He can't get a game because his replacement Wade Spencer is playing too well. Though a smaller man than Wagland, Spencer has been dynamic and timely in his sorties out of the box. On Saturday Spencer even parried a penalty from Golden Boot competition leader Adam Bostock. No easy task. In fact Spencer's heroism was integral to Ballina's 2-1 win over arch rivals Byron Bay. So it looks like Wagland will have to wait for Spencer to get injured before he gets a chance on the field.
This Saturday the Seahorses will run on against fellow competition leaders Workers on Rec 12 at 5pm. Ballina tend to play a long ball game that takes full advantage of the speed of their striker Clint Colless. Workers play a highly structured short passing game. Workers should dominate possession but Ballina play a very physical game and that might worry the Redmen.
The premiers looked flustered by Stars last week, particularly after Wayne Mortimer found an early goal. Workers can come unglued and Ballina is one of the teams with the size and intensity to make sure they do, although I still expect Workers to come away with the win.
Rovers were too strong for the Bluedogs at Bangalow, coming away with a 2-nil win. The minor premiers held their shape and finished off the Bangalow mob with late goals to Ian McGregor and Scott Crouch.
This Saturday Rovers will host Stars. Both teams rely on individual brilliance though their new coaches are working to develop greater structure. Rovers are using Scott Coster at the back and this adds real strength and solidity to their side.
Stars have a number of danger men such as Mortimer, Callan Starrett and Jeremy Pollard.
Thistles started very brightly against Goonellabah, snatching two goals before the Hornets finally awoke. Having woken, the men in yellow dominated possession and never looked like losing after Matthew Olley and Peter O'Neil evened up the scores before half time. In the second session Goonellabah peppered the Blues goal with shots. Finally, Ben Andrews, who is deadly from 20 yards, found the back of the net twice, ending the game as a contest.
Goonellabah host the struggling Casino Cobras this Saturday at 5pm. The Hornets are playing very good football at the moment and Casino will struggle to contain them. A controversial penalty gave Casino a draw against Maclean, who can feel unlucky to have gone down considering the weight of possession they maintained.
Maclean will take on Byron Bay, who will still be smarting after their loss to Ballina on Saturday, in Byron Bay. Both sides are still in a rebuilding phase though Byron look a little more solid going into this one.
Last year Thistles and Bangalow were locked in a battle with Alstonville to avoid relegation. This year looks like being a dire year for Thistles. Thistles have never been relegated from the premier division in the club's history. They need a win and I don't think the Bluedogs will be giving them one.
Goonellabah's Adam Barnes ushers the ball over the backline despite the attentions of young Thistles striker, Luke Edwards, at Thistles Park on Sunday.
Current table
Goonellabah 7, Lismore Workers 7, Richmond Rovers 7, Ballina 7, Byron Bay 6, Italo Stars 4, Maclean 2, Casino 1, Bangalow 0, Lismore Thistles 0.
Mens premier division
4 - Adam Bostock, Peter O'Neil, Ben Andrews;
2 - Anthony Alvos, Tyson Price, Clint Colless, Troy Percival, Luke MacPherson, Grant Nielson, Ian McGregor, Bruce Morhaus, Luke Edwards.
Womens First division
6 - Lisa Kelly
4 - Arlena Sweintek
4 - Kim Wraight
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