Sports News
 Bowled Over
A Festival Of Carnivals
Entries to Workers Heights Annual Pairs Festival close on Wednesday, August 1, so there is still time to organise a team and get your names in.
On Friday, August 3, format is Open Men's Pairs consisting of three games after a 9.15am start. Entry fee of $30 per team includes lunch and winners will receive $300, runners-up $200, third place getters $120 and $80 will go to fourth place. Winners of each round will pocket $50.
Mixed Versatile Pairs in teams of four is the format on Sunday – 9.15am start, three games and entry fee of $60 a team with lunch being provided. For this event, the winning team will receive $300, second place getters $200, third $120 and round winners $80 per team.
An Open Medley Pairs is being held on Monday with a noon start and three games to be played. Entry fee of $15 per team includes afternoon tea and winners take home $140, runners-up $100, third place $60, fourth $40 and round winners $30 per team. Tournament Coordinator, John Kinsella, has introduced a variety of games to make the events more interesting, so there will be a 2-4-2 game, three bowl pairs, two bowl pairs as well as the standard game. Entries and inquiries to the club on 6624 3040.
The Northern Rivers District Bowling Association is sponsoring a Coaches and Umpires Appreciation Day on Sunday, August 26. This is an opportunity for all bowlers to show how much they value the work of their umpires and coaches, both positions in clubs being filled voluntarily and requiring dedication and commitment. East Lismore has been chosen as the host club – very fitting as the greens and surrounds at East are always immaculate. The format is two rounds of Open Triples ie men, women or mixed teams are invited to participate and to liven things up even more, a two bowl game will be played. Cost per team is $12, starting time is 12.30pm and afternoon tea will be provided. There will be heaps of prizes and as no team can win more than one prize, most entrants will be in with a chance. Entries are open until 11am, August 26 – phone the coordinator, George Newell on 6622 6587 or the club on 6621 5098.
There is still time to enter City Annual Carnival being held this weekend – mixed fours Friday, men's triples Saturday, men's pairs on Monday. All are afternoon games and prizes for winners, runners-up and best round will be awarded each day. Phone Doug on 6624 6884 or the club on 6621 5991.
Remember that this Sunday, Lismore RSL is holding the Snow Rose Mixed Triples at the Goonellabah Sports Club. Casual dress is the order of the day and a choice of a morning game followed by lunch or an afternoon game followed by BBQ dinner or both will cater for all parties. Contact Dusty on 6625 2424 to enter.
The Lismore RSL annual carnival is on August 3-5. Mixed fours are on the Friday starting at midday, men's triples are on the Saturday beginning at midday and men's pairs are on the Sunday 9.30am. For more information and to leave nominations call Dusty on 6625 2424 any night after 6pm.
Coaching Tip
There are some bowlers who do not have what may be termed a technically correct delivery but who are very successful.
What these players do have, though, is a consistent, grooved delivery that is the same every single time they put down a bowl.
For new players, it is to their advantage to establish a correct delivery as it is physically easier on the body. What is important for all bowlers, experienced or new, is to establish a systematic approach to your bowl delivery so that it becomes an integral part of your game. It incorporates the approach to the mat, a relaxed stance, determining an aiming line and point, having a comfortable grip, a smooth delivery and a follow through.
Umpire's Corner
Law 52: Play Irregularities: 52D Omitting to play
(i) If the result of an end has been agreed upon, or the head has been touched in the agreed process of determining the result, then a player who has omitted to play a bowl shall forfeit the right to play it.
(ii) A player who has neglected to play a bowl in the proper sequence shall forfeit the right to play that bowl, if a bowl has been played by each team before the mistake is discovered.
Until next week,
good bowling.
 Hook and Slices
with Stan Bendall
NRDGA
There will be an interdistrict match for seniors (over 50), juniors, colts and open on Sunday, August 12 at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads between Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and South East Queensland.
The Foxsports men's district final will be held at Coraki on Sunday, August 19.
There will be a welcome day for the commencement of the Northern Rivers Blue Ribbon event at Ballina on Sunday, August 26.
From Monday, August 27 until Friday, September 7 there will be 13 days of golf at 13 different golf courses in the Northern Rivers area with the final farewell at Yamba.
Ballina
Round one of the members four ball is on this Saturday while the ladies play a 4 ball stableford.
Rod Rose won the overall trophy in last Wednesday's single stableford. Phil Dowling took out A grade from Clive Quick; George Buckner took out B grade from John Hume and Sautin Oorley again won C grade from Garry Robertson.
Dallas Smith won the overall trophy in last Saturday's single versus par event. Geoff Deveson won A grade; Brian Hannan took out B grade and Dickie Crandell C grade.
Casino
There will be a single stableford this Saturday for Legacy Day, sponsored by Greg Cowan (NRMA).
The club foursomes will be played this Sunday.
Last Saturday Lismore golfers travelled over to Casino for the second and final round of the Michael Cup, going in with a very handy lead of six matches. The Casino boys staged a fighting comeback and went to within a match of winning back the cup – a great effort by Elk and the boys. Well done to Preso Malcolm and his partner, Darryl, who Lismore beat in Lismore but flogged them in the return match. The best Lismore score was recorded by the two young talents, Lloyd Kelly and Will Roberts, with Lloyd picking up four nearest the pins. Top stuff, mate! Danny Kennedy and Greg Northfield won the fourball. Thank you to Russ for driving the bus.
Mick Greber won his second club title last Sunday when he partnered club pro, Ian Halliday's, mum Janet to victory in the club mixed foursomes from Mal Brown and Chris Knight. Well done folks. See if you can make it a trifecta next Sunday, Mick!
Coraki
An 18 hole bisque versus par event will be played in three grades this Saturday.
Don't forget the annual Mid Richmond Plumbers Open Golf Day on Sunday, August 12, proudly supported Eagles Plumbing supplies with heaps of trophies to be won for members, ladies and juniors (must be 14 years of age or over and on a handicap of no more than 27). Time slots in morning and afternoon, so nominate now!
The final round of the club champos will be played in four grades this Sunday. Good luck fellas!
Guy Stewart and Steve McDonough won the 4BBB stableford from Dick Beerens and Mick (Bib Bird) Bruggy. The highlight of the day was an ace recorded on the par 3 sixth hole by treasurer extraordinaire Ray Hunt, who feathered a 6 iron into the hole. Top shot mate!
Lismore Workers
A 4BBB stableford will be played this Saturday.
The August medal will be played in three grades as the first round of the Presos trophy.
Noel Bell came to the fore last Thursday, winning the single stableford by 2 from Don Waddell and Brenton Hare. Ray Evans won the first nine from Berri Spooner; Steve (Mossie) Morrissey won the second nine from Graham (Gahn) Nixon and Lloyd Kelly taking out the gross.
Bill Carlson took out A grade in the single stableford last Saturday from Steve Morrissey. Dick Ryan took out B grade from Jim O'Brien and after an absence due to sickness Ken O'Brien was back in the winners' circle for C grade. Steve Mitchell took out the Bradmans, Slapsy Maxie must be getting lessons!
Woodburn-Evans Head
An aggregate stableford will be played for the RSL social golf club trophies this Saturday.
The mug will be played in three grades on Saturday, August 4.
Shirley Payne won A grade in the ladies single stableford last Wednesday; Gail Ferrier won B grade.
Barry Pike took home the overall winners trophy from the single stableford last Saturday. Bill Blackshaw won the A grade trophy; Bill Flanagan won B grade and Elaine Compton won the ladies section from Marina Davey.
Col Peake, Dave Brodin and Steve and Irene Campton won the Camp Quality Charity Golf Day, organised by the Mid Richmond Lions Club last Sunday.
 What's My Line
with Ian Clark
A Female Needs A Male Like A Fish Needs A Bicycle
The other day I was looking through a hunting magazine from the year 1980.
Apart from cigarette advertisements and photos of blokes standing beside big boars or deer, there was a page of short snippets.
Reading one snippet, it read that an environmental scientist (name not mentioned) told the national parliament that the use of birth control pills by Australian women may be changing the sex of fish.
This was reported by the fact that fish were swimming in water polluted by oestrogen-rich sewerage. It also stated that the oestrogen was producing genetically female, although infertile fish.
The old surfboard was dusted off and the fishing rods packed away for last weekend. There were some big swells roll through and Lennox Headland was one of the prime spots for a surf.
Evans Head is back to normal after another year's great event. One of my mates rang me who was in the comp. He did not catch anything worthwhile weighing in he reckons but he said the beers were nice and cold. And that's the main thing.
After some big seas I find it better fishing. There are new holes, sandbanks and rock formations to cast a line into. Hopefully they are attracting the fish as much as they do the angler.
At Lennox Head bream are being caught using mullet gut.
Tailor are taking lures from the headlands. The best working lures are the illusion lures. Paul at Lennox Bait & Tackle has a good supply and will set you straight on what ones are working best.
There are also some good jew around the area. Late last week there were a couple weighed in around the 15-16 kilo mark.
As we went to press another jew was weighed in at the 5 to 6 kilo mark.
At Evans Head the best spot seems to be Airforce Beach for bream and jew.
Hopefully the seas have quietened and the weather stays fine so you can get out and wet a line.
Until next week,
fun fishing.
Rams On The Road To Glory
 Stars midfielder Kyle Jensen on the attack in the Premiers classy 3–0 win over Rovers last week.
Byron Bay stands on the verge of winning its first premiership in 52 years in Soccer FNC's premier division. The competition leaders embark on Saturday's arduous road trip to the Clarence to confront a potential nemesis, Maclean Bobcats.
The Rams have led the competition since round one and if they win, should be able to hold on for the remaining four weeks to claim the clubs first pointscore championship in the top ranks. But the second-placed Bobcats sit just a point behind and are just as motivated as they chase their second title in three years, after breaking the ice for their first premiership in 1999.
The Rams shot themselves in the foot with last week's horror 5-1 loss to Ballina, allowing Maclean to close the gap to just one point after they whipped Uni 4-0, leaving the lead up for grabs on Saturday.
Maclean's well-constructed win stretched its unbeaten run to nine games and with a faultless home record, the Bobcats will test to the limit Byron's resolve to win their first premiership .
Maclean are expected to field a full strength side with wily striker Grant Nielson returning after being rested last week, while Byron Bay have been punished further by last week's loss, with a yellow card for striker Bruce Morhaus ruling the goal-poacher out and a red card for Glen Sheldrick also leaving him on the sideline.
With talented young flanker Jed Wright still unavailable, coach Graham Bird faces the ultimate test to lift his side from the depths of last week's defeat to the heights needed to out-class Maclean.
'We've bounced back after each setback so far and with so much at stake I think we can do it again,' he said.
Intrigue At Oakes
An intriguing match awaits spectators at Oakes Oval on Saturday, when third-placed Richmond Rovers look to bounce back from last week's costly 3-0 loss to Stars, against an Alstonville side fired up by their unexpected 3-1 win over Workers.
Villa's win lifted them out of the relegation zone and another win would provide impetus to their campaign for a second season in the top ranks, but against the hardened experience of a Rovers lineup stung by defeat, Villa need to produce their game of the season when the whistle blows at 3pm.
Hornets See Stars
Premiers Italo Stars have produced their best form of the season in recent outings, spelling bad news for relegation-threatened Goonellabah when they square off at Stars' Barrow Lane on Saturday from 3pm.
Last week's impressive 3-0 win over a powerful Rovers squad was Stars third win on the trot and with an unchanged lineup the premiers will start as raging favourites.
Striker Mark Maslen was the hat trick hero against Rovers, capitalising on the openings created by Craig Wiblin and Jock Olley and the trio is expected to terrorise the suspect Hornets defence.
Sink Or Swim
Ballina will still be trying to get their feet back on the ground after last week's astounding 5-1 drubbing of leader Byron Bay, as the Seahorses prepare for Saturday's home clash with Thistles from 5pm.
The incredible result threw the premiership race wide open and put Ballina back into semi-final calculations, but the seasiders could drop back out of the picture just as quickly, if they go down to fifth-placed Thistles.
Ballina's two big trump cards were the premier division's top scorer Troy Percival, who scored two goals and goal-keeper Lucas Wagland, who produced a superlative game in his return from injury, saving two penalties and scoring an amazing goal from a free kick in his own half.
But the memorable win has come at a cost, with a yellow card for Percival ruling him out, but with Justin Stockham returning to some of his best form and confidence sky-high, the Seahorses will be hard to beat on home soil.
Thistles have been hot and cold in recent games, but last week's 3-0 win over Souths has lifted the Blues to within a point of third place, raising hopes of a top three finish.
Only striker Steve Morrissey is in doubt for an otherwise full strength Blues and with their in-form midfield pairing of Darren Beardow and Anthony Nind supporting strikers Daniel Braithwaite and Nathan Oliver, it looms as a closely-fought game that could easily go either way.
Road To Redemption
By their own standards both Southern Cross Uni and Casino Cobras would readily admit they have been under-achievers this year, but semi-finals redemption beckons for the winner of their clash at Casino on Saturday at 5pm.
A month ago Uni sat in fourth place but since then the loss of players during the semester break has devastated their campaign, culminating in last week's 4-0 loss at the hands of Maclean which left last year's grand finalists in seventh place, five points short of the top five.
With scholarly duties resuming this week Uni's ranks will swell, allowing the students to field something like a full strength side.
Top scorer Scott Collins missed last week's loss through suspension and his return will be an enormous boost for Uni, but Casino also have a key striker returning from suspension in Nathan Scully and after last week's 3-0 mauling of Goonellabah, a Cobras lineup hungry for points will be looking for a second course.
Casino trail Uni by three points and a loss would spell the end of their semi-final hopes, instilling all the necessary desperation in both sides for a titanic struggle.
After Shock
The reverberations from last week's shock 3-1 loss to Alstonville will still be echoing in Lismore Workers ears, as the Redmen prepare to bounce back in Saturday's away clash with South Lismore at 5pm.
After a gutsy 1-0 win over Thistles the week before Workers semi-final campaign appeared to be back on track, but the unexpected loss to Villa threatens to derail their chances once again.
Player-coach Andrew Acton missed last week's debacle and Workers supporters will be hoping his return brings some stability to their midfield, along with the long-awaited return of stalwart striker John Wraight from a broken thumb.
Despite their recent lack of consistency, the Anzac Cup champions will still go in as favourites against a Souths lineup with just two wins to their credit and staring down the barrel of relegation.
Troubling Times
Why would you want to undo a deal which Blind Freddy could see would benefit you?
That is what has happened now that Carlton United were forced to terminate their FNC sponsorship, but more on that later.
There is limited local rugby this weekend as it is the scheduled bye for allowing catch-up games to be played.
This means all but Ballina and Byron Bay get the week off to watch the Wallabies play South Africa in the Tri Nations.
However, the local game could hold as much importance to some clubs as the Wallabies game.
Last week saw Lismore regain the competition lead after their 53-12 demoralising of Wollongbar, other results saw Casino down Grafton 32-17 and the Gold Rats wallop Mullum 75-0.
Should Ballina gain victory this week they will regain the competition lead from Lismore; should Byron win, they will cement their first Finals place since their original inception into the FNC competition way back in 1971, big news indeed!
This leads to one conclusion only, a cracker of a game at Byron Recreational Ground come 3.15pm Saturday.
With Byron Bay's backline playing with confidence and flair, Ballina's strengths and weaknesses will be put to the test.
Should the Byron fly-half combination of Chris Joyce and Luke Sullivan dominate their more fancied opponents, then there will be tactical gems for other sides to copy when they next face the Seahorses.
However, if the Ballina backline match and better the Byron side, it will indicate a team with well-balanced attacking options as their forward control is beyond reproach.
Backrowers, Karl Lupton and Chad Duensing have been showing their dominance at the breakdown lately and Byron will need to address the issue of ball security to combat this.
Byron's key is the speed with which they conduct their attacks after turning over possession.
As is the case with the young Gold Rats side, Byron Bay are most dangerous from broken play.
Should Ballina maintain the structure and control their game is famous for, they will win, whereas should the game become a scrappy affair Byron could get their chance.
Ballina by 10.
Now for a huge cheerio to Guy ‘evergreen' Latham.
This 38 year old legend played ALL three grades for Lismore against Wollongbar last Saturday and was instrumental in all three victories, scoring one try in Thirds, another three in Seconds and bagging yet another in First Grade.
The FNC Rep season is approaching Guy, put your hand up!
So the Wallabies are up against the old ‘Hairy Backs' again.
It will be great to see this game and view the differences between it and those of the Lions tour.
My pick is there will be more running play and less positional kicking from the Wallabies, but with added infringements from the Springboks.
Look for a heap of penalties being awarded as Australia attack the Springbok line.
South Africa are the kings of giving away three points rather than risk conceding seven from a try.
Should the Wallabies acclimatise to the high altitude properly, their fitness, drilling and understanding of the game will see them take revenge for the record 61-22 loss they suffered the last time the Wallabies played in Pretoria in 1997.
Lastly is my personal opinion of the farce regarding the loss of the Carlton United sponsorship which members of the zone had worked very hard to secure.
How could this happen?
Put simply, we have lost a vital sponsorship deal because a couple of individuals at certain clubs thought that their taste in beer was more important than a deal to boost our zone.
It has happened now, and we may not see the actual damage this has caused until the zone attempts to find another sponsor willing to do as much as Carlton promised, and can't.
As for us, we can now enjoy sitting back to argue whether the taste of one beer over another is worth more than $33,000.
Imagine if the ARU had turned down their record sponsorship deal with Bundaberg Rum, which is boosting country rugby everywhere, because some guys in Sydney drank bourbon?
Smart boys, real smart!
By Ed Rummery
Shave Raises Cash
 Lismore City Rugby Union Football Club first grade coach, Tony Montgomery (left) handing a cheque for $4,950 to Camp Quality Head Shave to organiser, Stanley Bendall.
They are pictured with Damien Bebb who won a Wallabies guernsey for raising the most money for shaving his head ($580). Damien is one of more than 30 players from Lismore Rugby Club who had his head shaved to raise money for Camp Quality, a charity which raises money for children with cancer. The fund raiser was so popular that Lismore City Rugby Club is going to offer its players heads for shaving every year.
Demons' Spirit Tamed By Wild Tigers
Grafton overran Nimbin last weekend, putting both sides on fourth spot on the ladder and giving them each a chance of still making the finals.
A couple of weeks off have allowed the Grafton club an opportunity to regroup after injury and other commitments saw them slip to last when they forfeited to Byron. The big win now gives them a chance to make the number four position theirs alone and take a spot in the finals.
Grafton is at home at Ellem Oval Grafton again this Saturday when they tackle the Lismore Swans.
Lismore has also struggled for several weeks with many players away with the Uni break. Most should be back for this game, as the Swans need a big effort to make up for lost ground. After being clear second on the ladder just a few weeks ago, the Swans are now languishing eight points behind Ballina in third. They need to be at their best during the business end of the season for any chance of challenging the Bombers for the second position.
Grafton's home crowd was very vocal last week and they could be an important factor as the Tigers try to regain some momentum.
Top Two To Clash At Bangalow
The second placed Ballina Bombers take on the undefeated competition leaders the Byron Magpies at Shultz Oval, Bangalow this Saturday at 2.15pm.
The Bombers will want to turn around the result of their last encounter with Byron, when shoddy goal shooting saw them boot 5 goals and 19 behinds, kicking themselves out of a win. Byron won that game by 14 points, but when the two played their first game at Shultz Oval Bangalow, the Magpies won easily.
Both sides still have a number of talented players out with injury but the Match of the Round at Byron's home ground should be a great spectacle. Byron starts definite favourites, as they are yet to taste defeat this year.
If Ballina can win then it will make it very difficult for the Swans to overtake them on the ladder.
Nimbin has the bye and will be hoping the Swans can return home victorious this week, to give the Demons a stronger chance of making the finals.
SAFL Ladder
SAFL Ladder at round 14: Byron 44, Ballina 28, Lismore 20, Grafton 8, and Nimbin 8.
Four Fight For Three Finals Places
 Mark Krause running the ball up for Marist Brothers against Ballina last weekend. Brothers showed why they are favourites to win the championship by defeating the second placed Seagulls 32-10.
With only three rounds to go in the Beach Hotel Group One Rugby League preliminary competition four teams are fighting for three positions.
While Marist Brothers and Ballina are both guaranteed of a top five spot, South Grafton, Workers, Casino and Grafton are all within two points of each other, making the last three games extremely important. Workers and Casino each have a bye in hand, helping their chances of finishing in the top five but not making a top five spot certain.
With the results of the last few games making such a difference this weekend's home game for Workers against the Grafton Ghosts takes on even more importance. Grafton beat the Tigers convincingly the first time the two met this year, but Workers have improved their defence during the second half of the season and are looking like a much more disciplined team than they did earlier in the year. The Tigers showed very good composure last weekend against the Byron Red Devils to come from behind in the dying minutes of the game to win 41-22.
Grafton had an easier hit out last weekend, taking care of the Kyogle Turkeys 54-4. The Ghosts will have to be on their toes against the Tigers, who have the best attacking side in Group One and the home advantage.
Casino will also have a tough game this weekend when they take on the Ballina Seagulls at Kingsford Smith Park at 3pm this Sunday.
The Seagulls had a great first half against Brothers last weekend, going into the half time break up 6-4. Things fell apart for Ballina in the second half however, as they made multiple errors with ball handling and failed to make the most of numerous scoring opportunities. It was only the Seagulls second loss for the season and they will be out to make sure they don't add to that tally so Casino will need to play their best footy if they are to contain them.
Casino are capable of causing the upset though, as they showed last weekend when they defeated the more fancied South Grafton Rebels 50-32. If the Cougars play as well as they did last weekend it should be a very entertaining match against the Seagulls.
The Rebels will have to improve on their performance last weekend if they want to be competitive against Brothers this Sunday when the two meet at McKittrick Park, Grafton at 3pm.
Brothers showed why they are the competition favourites against the Seagulls. While the beginning of the second half was notable for the number of ball handling errors made by both sides Brothers refused to panic and, as it has all season, their calm, professional attitude under pressure allowed them to score first in the second half. After that try Brothers confidence was high and they scored some fantastic individual tries against the run of play.
The other aspect of the Rams game which makes them look good for another premiership is their defence. Ballina had numerous good attacking positions but Brothers line held them out for almost the entire second half, again the players holding firm under enormous pressure.
South Grafton will have to play well above last week's standard if they want to improve their semi final chances by taking the points from Brothers.
Petria's Pet Butterfly
 Petria Thomas with mentor and coach Stan Tilley.
Mullumbimby's Petria Thomas can now add a World championship to her impressive swimming resume.
Thomas won the 200 metres butterfly, at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan last Monday night, clocking the best time of her life, two minutes 6.73 seconds, to win her first world title.
Until this race, Thomas had been overshadowed by world recordholder Susie O'Neill, who retired after the Sydney Olympics.
Thomas, silver medallist behind O'Neill at the last world championships in 1998, led throughout to beat German Annika Mehlhorn by a fingernail.
The 17-year-old German stepped up her challenge on the last length and came desperately close to denying Thomas the gold.
Thomas took it at the touch, winning in two minutes 6.73 seconds, making her the fourth fastest swimmer in the event ever and setting a new World Championship record.
Ballina swimmer, Dyana Calub finished sixth in the final of the women's 50m backstroke, after going into the race as the fourth fastest qualifier.
Australia finished sixth in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay final, with Thomas swimming the second leg. The United States won the event easily.
Whose Shout Is It Now?
 Happier days: Warren Tozer and Chris McLean of Carlton and United Breweries present the VB trophy to FNC Rugby Union prseident, Maurie Ryan and Referees Association president Graham Cook in May this year.
A fight over what beer to serve at rugby games has resulted in the Far North Coast Rugby Union losing their first major sponsorship deal, only four months after it was signed.
Carlton United Breweries have withdrawn it's sponsorship of the FNC Rugby VB Cup due to failure of some clubs to serve only Carlton products at their grounds, one of the terms of the agreement.
Casino, who were voicing concerns about only being able to serve CUB beers at their games before the season began, decided to offer their fans the choice of drinking beers made by other breweries. There have also been suggestions that other clubs have also been breaking the exclusivity clause at games and also violating a second term of the sponsorship agreement by offering non-CUB beers for sale at post match functions.
When FNC Rugby and Carlton found out, they agreed that clubs could make their own choice but only clubs adhering to the conditions of the deal would receive the funds from it. Clubs who didn't comply would also forfeit their right to lodge a bid to host one of the finals fixtures, where only Carlton United Breweries beer products would be sold.
However, on Saturday Carlton decided to call last drinks from the VB Cup.
Rugby FNC president, Maurie Ryan is disappointed with the decision but believes that not all is lost.
'I realise that events have overtaken the sponsorship deal but my objective now is to heal any wounds that exist and put this behind us. Carlton are still looking at negotiating with individual clubs,' Ryan said.
Carlton regional sales manager Warren Tozer is working towards helping the clubs who did support the agreement.
'We are disappointed with the issue as we were keen to support FNC rugby as a whole,' he said.
'We knew about the concerns and were working these out on a club by club basis, however we have now decided to terminate the deal.'
'We have had many calls today from clubs declaring their willingness to stay involved and we will work to support them individually. We are just disappointed the zone has lost the corporate sponsorship it needs,' Tozer said.
Rudi Maxwell
Let's Do Lunch
There will be a Sportsman's Luncheon to raise money for the Variety Club Bash on Friday, July 27 at the Lake Ainsworth Sport and Recreation Centre in Lennox Head, starting at 12.30pm.
The day includes refreshments, huge steaks for lunch and entertainment with special guest 'Lucky Grills' and sportsmen Darcy Henry, Ken McCaffrey and Denis Meaney all for $45.
Tickets are available at Pidcocks Real Estate and Lennox Head Motors.
Decision Time Before Comp Splits
This Saturday the Lismore District Netball Association premier division will play their last round before the 12 team competition splits into three divisions of four teams.
This Saturday all the students will be back for the Southern Cross University Lab Rats to take on Cecil in what will be a high scoring game at 1pm.
The Lab Rats put up a good showing against Daleys last week, but the combined firepower of Daleys shooters, Jane Wiltshire and Maria Durheim proved too much in the end, with Daleys winning 42-20.
Cecil suffered a rare loss last week, after being defeated by Daleys Reps 37-12. Reps should have a reasonably comfortable win when they meet the Woodlawn Flacons at 1pm on Saturday.
Falcons had a tough game against Rous 2 last week, eventually going down 35-49. Rous 2 will have a harder time this weekend though, when they meet Daleys White at 3.10pm.
Although White went down 23-69 to Breakaways last weekend they are still a very aggressive side who fight for every point and Rous 2 will have to play well to best them.
Breakaways will play Terra Rats at 3.10pm. Terra Rats lost 15-43 against Rous 1 last weekend and will do it even tougher against the talented Breakaways. Rous 1 are up against Pink Panthers Comets at 2.05 this Saturday while Daleys play Workers Purple at the same time. Workers beat Comets 51-20 last week but both teams will struggle against the stronger opposition.
As the time for deciding the winner of The Echo netballer of year is drawing close, The Echo will no longer publish the list of top contenders.
The prize is certainly up for grabs though with more than 10 players all within striking distance of the lead. The eventual winner will receive a weekend for two at the luxurious Wiltshire Hotel in Brisbane, courtesy of The Echo.
Men
Troy Percival has emerged as the favourite to take out the Echo's mens Hot Shots award, after increasing his lead to three goals with a double strike in Ballina's astonishing 5-1 win over leader Byron Bay last week.
His nearest rival, Uni's Scott Collins, sat on the sideline serving a one-match suspension and could do nothing but watch as his team-mates went down 4-0 to Maclean and with only five rounds remaining, Percival will be hard to catch.
The season's eventual top scorer will receive a weekend for two at the luxurious Watermark hotel on the Gold Coast, courtesy of the Echo.
Men's Tally
19 – Troy Percival (Ballina).
16 – Scott Collins (Uni).
14 – Daniel Fung (Maclean).
13 – Satis Sthapit (Byron Bay).
12 – Bruce Morhaus (Byron Bay).
10 – Kevin Crofton (Maclean).
Women
Maclean's Tracy Want netted a massive five goals last weekend to take the lead in The Echo women's hot shots competition.
Want wasn't the only Topcat to increase her standing in the Golden Boot stakes, with Natalie Anderson scoring three goals to take her total to 4 and put her name up with the leaders.
Women's tally
15 – Tracy Want (Maclean)
12 – Martene Edwards (Rovers), Rose Argent (Workers)
6 – Jo Collis (Workers)
4 – Kim Wraight (Workers), Natalie Anderson (Maclean).
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