Sports News

Hooks and Slices

with Stan Bendall

NRDGA

The Northern Rivers golf trip to New England set down for October 12 has been cancelled.

The celebrations for the centenary of the Lismore Workers Golf Club concluded on Saturday night with the Centenary Dinner. The night was a great success with Charlie Earp, Greg Norman's coach, being feted as the guest of honour. Not many people now that Charlie, the professional at Royal Queensland, had a six-month stint at Lismore before getting the job at Brisbane's premier course. Charlie was accompanied by his wife Margaret.

Other guests included Lismore's Mayor, Merv King and his wife, as well as one of the clubs longest serving members, Edgar Shafer.

On Friday over 150 people attended an afternoon tea attended by many former past presidents, club champions, captains and stalwarts of the club, including Cyril McKee, Ron Hepburn (up from Melbourne), Peter Kempnich and Vic Reynolds.

It was unfortunate that one of the club's favourite sons, Harve 'Mango' Wilson was unable to attend. He was one of the club's best golfers and won the second World Left-handed Championship, in Maui, Hawaii.

It was a great month for the club with a special thanks to the general manager and directors of the Lismore Workers Club who stepped in and ensured that the doors would be kept open. Also, a word of congratulations to all of the staff of the club, both in the clubhouse and on the course, everyone puled together to make it an outstanding celebration of both the club and golf.

Ballina

Neil Bullen will be looking to win back to back titles when the club championship starts with round one and two to be played this weekend. This will mean Brownies golfers will not be playing on Sunday.

Casino

This Saturday will be a 2-ball stableford.

The club conceded a 2-match advantage in the second and final round of the Bardwell-Ellis trophy at Ballina last Saturday, allowing the hoe team to retain the trophy for another year.

Lismore

The 3rd Lismore Masters games will see a 4BBB played o Friday followed by 36 holes of strokeplay on Saturday and Sunday. Games players can also elect to play in the club members competition on Saturday for a small additional green fee. The winners of the centenary stroke event last week were Bernie McDonald in A grade, Doug Oliver in B grade and Josh Ryan in C grade. The A grade gross went to Brian Whelan.

Woodburn Evans Head

Saturday's event will be an aggregate stableford. The winner of the ladies 27-hole midweek event were Maureen Noonan in the overall and Hazel Campbell in A grade and Shirley Payne in C grade.

Hook, Line and Sinker

with Lindsay Doust - Suffolks Sports Store

Back to the fish ...

After all the issues recreational fishers have been inundated with of late, we are able to get back to fish.

Not that the matters have gone away, I must alert you all to a thing called the 'hook and line fishery'. Just to whet your appetites: this could be the one thing that would be the most damaging of all to the harmless recreational angler. I will write on this subject in next week's column.

Summer fishing has begun, and with some encouraging signs. Flathead seem to be available in some numbers from about Broadwater to Coraki and good numbers are being taken on the silver fox coloured squidgee. Bass seem to be spread from Coraki to above Lismore and Casino and with very good reports from around Kyogle, particularly on surface lures.

It was good to hear that the fish inspectors were on the water in Lismore last Sunday. This should not be a worry to anyone doing the right thing.

Outside, the northerly winds have been getting up as early as 10am and the outside boaties have had to leave earlier than usual to avoid a very rough trip home. Teraglin seem to be the best bet at the moment but with some nice squire mixed in with them.

Many anglers are off to Fraser Island over the coming long weekend to chase tailor. In October, the run of tailor are often a lot larger in size than in earlier months, even if the numbers can be a little smaller. Now that Indian Head and Waddy Point are closed to fishing for August and September, the time to target tailor from the rocks is October.

This Saturday and Sunday, try from about 12:30pm to about 3:30pm. By the tides and moon it should be a good time to nail a nice lizard. If you are really keen, try for a nice jew in the similar hours in the middle of the night.

Remember to always take your rubbish home. Not only are plastic bags, old lines etc hazards to birds, I've just heard of a wrecked motor that sucked a plastic bag into the water intake. The result was one cooked engine.

We also must be aware of giving anyone ammunition to use against recreational anglers when so many of our freedoms are being eroded.

We are short of good fishing photographs. You must have some from past days or present catches and we'd like to use them. Please drop them in to Suffolks Sports Store and we'll return them after use.

What the 'n'!?!

Readers of last week's sports pages in The Echo would have seen a very unusual headline over the photo essay on the weekend of amazing union and league results.

What was sent to the printer and what ended up being printed were very different.

Rather than get hot under the collar with the printer we have decided that you, The Echo reader should come out ahead on this one.

We have two books to give away, one on rugby league and one about rugby union.

To win the rugby league book all you have to do is let us know what you think the real headline was. The nearest to the original will win Graeme Langlands and Helen Elward's book State of Origin: Gods of the Grounds.

Hint – only two words were missing, and the first of those words does not start with the letter 'n'.

If you want to win the rugby union book, John Eales' Rugby Book: A Practical Guide for Young Players, you'll need to put your imagination to work and come up with the most humorous ending to the errant headline.

Send you entries in to The Echo by email to sport@echo-news.com or drop them in to the post to The Northern Rivers Echo P.O. Box 37, Lismore, NSW, 2480. Entries will also be accepted at the office in Moleworth Street or by fax on 6622 1791.

Entries must be in by 5pm Friday October 3. The winners will be announced in issue 40 of The Echo on October 9.

Cup madness hits town

The Lismore Gold Cup is the biggest race meeting for the year in Lismore and everyone wants to get the inside mail on the likely winner.

We are a bit worried about our (slightly eccentric) sports writer, John McPherson, seen above in earnest conversation with cup hopeful, Eeyore.

Eeyore, owned by Col Keane of Eagles Plumbing Supplies, will be ridden by Leanne Olsen in the Cup.

John was adamant that he was not asking the horse for an inside tip, "Honest, I wasn't. I was interviewing Eeyore about what he thinks about the prospect of being retired to jumps racing later in his career."

Brothers retain title - Baseball

Minor Premiers Marist Brothers sealed their second title in two years, with a two games to one victory over Workers Club in the Far North Coast Baseball Grand Final Series.

Brothers struck first blood on Friday night with a 4 – 2 victory over Workers in a nine-inning battle.

Brothers made their intentions clear when Steve Egan was scored in the bottom of the second, giving the Brethren a 1 – 0 lead. This point was driven home in the second by a two-run home run over the left field fence from Matt Gahan.

Gahan was also keeping Workers pinned down from the mound. It took until the fourth, and some Brothers fielding errors for Workers to get their first run. Martin Tucker made it 2-all in the fifth when he crossed the plate. But in the seventh Brothers moved to a 4 – 2 lead and were never threatened for the win. Pitcher Matt Gahan shut down the Workers Club's hopes a comeback, striking out eight of the 11 batters who came to the plate from late in the fifth innings.

In game two on Saturday afternoon, Workers were faced with a do or die match. With a strong following in the bleachers, Workers responded to the support and came out fighting. Brothers again set the tone, scoring two quick runs in the first. Workers failed to respond until the second, when Scott McClelland crossed the plate on a Josh Daley sacrifice fly to center field. Matt Gahan again injected himself into the game for Brothers, blasting a two-run home run, into the wind, over the left field fence. Down 4 – 1 Workers went into the fourth with the resolve to fight back. Strong hitting from Michael Lewis, Martin Tucker and Dallas Knapp secured four runs, and a 5 – 4 lead into the top of the fourth.

Workers pitcher Matt Gooding kept the Brothers batting quiet for the remainder of the game, while his teammates surged ahead with five runs in the fifth. In the sixth and seventh, Workers took the game from Brothers, scoring another four runs to Brothers one. Included in this run chase was a towering two run home run from Josh Daley over the left field fence. Workers closed out the game for a 15 – 5 victory in the seventh.

In game three, with the series locked at one all, Brothers again went on the offensive, scoring four unanswered runs in the first four innings. Workers found themselves struggling to overcome the power of Matt Gahan and the quality of the Brethren's fielding. With a lone run in the fifth from Workers, Brothers raced away to a 7 – 1 lead, courtesy of a grand-slam home run from Andrew Buckley off the pitching of Scott McClelland.

The Workers batting managed just two more runs in the sixth before Gahan shut down any hopes of a rally with four strike outs in five batters, taking his tally for the year to 206.

Brothers took the 2003 Premiership on the back of a 10 run mercy rule, winning 15 – 3 in the seventh innings.

Casino denied

A meeting of the Lismore District Cricket Association has decided to deny Casino a place in the second grade competition for 2003/04. Casino applied to join after there were insufficient nominations to form a reserve grade for the L J Hooker League inter-district competition and were prepared to play all of their first season games in Lismore.

Byron wins as Nimbin delivers - Aussie Rules

Anthony Forega (centre) is swamped by Byron defenders but was still able to get this kick away for an outstanding Nimbin goal in the third quarter.

Player of the grand final, Byron's Wayne Blake is awarded the Bob Hill Memorial medal by Bob's daughter, Sandi Savill.

Nimbin coach and 500 game veteran of the Summerland League, Frank Reid, led his team from the front all day

Nimbin's Demons...

It was a day of celebrity and celebration.

Nimbin were lining up against the experienced and successful Byron Shire Magpies at Casino.

This was Nimbin's first ever appearance in grand final.

Reaching the grand final, even after their most successful season ever was still thought by many to be beyond Nimbin.

They made it by eliminating Ballina and Lismore in successive finals.

This was Nimbin's finest sporting moment since a team of timber workers headed off overseas and won the world tug-of-war title in 1978.

There was double-edged satire in one Demon chant delivered with little subtlety by one of the fans along the northern flank:

"Give me a D ...

Now give me fifteen E's!"

But the focus was on a game of football played in front of what some described as the biggest crowd seen at a Summerland League grand final. Byron were appearing in their fifth grand final and didn't let the crowd or the disruptive cross wind phase them. The Magpies jumped to a two-goal lead, but were gradually pegged back with the teams going into the first break separated by only one point. Byron were 3-2-20 to Nimbin's 3-1-19.

After a six goal to one second quarter Byron had established an authority over the match and a winning break at 9-7-61 to Nimbin's 4-6-30. The game could have died as a spectacle from this point, but to Nimbin's credit they came out in the second half and dominated early play putting on the first two goals to get back to within 17 points. Byron responded with two goals of their own, but Nimbin again rallied and edged to within 17 points and seemed on the verge of breaking the Magpies back.

To their credit Byron steadied after each challenge and was able to find a clearer path to goal. Byron led 12-11-83 to 8-9-57 at three quarter time.

Byron's coach, John Porritt told his backmen that they should stick to their opponents like glue and to "go shoulder to shoulder with them, wherever the go on the field. Be with them so they can't move."

Meanwhile Nimbin were being told by 500 game veteran, coach Frank Reid to ensure that they played the game out to the end and that the goal was to make sure that they put in a four-quarter effort.

They did not disappoint their fans and put in a spirited effort. They were able to peg back the Byron lead marginally, but in the end the best team were declared champions for the 2003 with Byron earning their eighth SAFL title 15-12-102 to Nimbin's 12-11-83.

The late Bob Hill's daughter Sandi Savill was on hand to present Byron's Wayne Blake with the Bob Hill Memorial Medal for the player of the grand final Bob was a foundation member of the Ballina club and served at the SAFL president for many years.

Stars keep to the script - Soccer FNC

After an undefeated season that started with a sensational run of nine wins on the trot Italo Stars have achieved their destiny for 2003 by taking out the minor-major premiership double. The last team to complete a full season undefeated was Terry Woods' Thistles team of 1992.

Stars did all that was needed on Saturday at Oakes Oval by winning 1-nil over a Ballina side that was not disgraced.

Mark Maslen's corner kick in the second minute for Stars was slipped through goalkeeper Lucas Wagland's fingers, leaving Clint Willoughby with a clean header to register a goal.

This forced Ballina into an attacking style of play in search of an equaliser. Stars were under such pressure that they found it difficult to make territory and commit players out of defence o those occasions that they were in possession.

With Ballina pressing forward continuously Stars showed that their defensive system was every bit as good as their much vaunted strike force.

Wave after wave of Ballina attacks were repelled as Stars often dropped their whole squad behind the half way line.

With so much play in the Stars half there were numerous attacking forays into the penalty box, with each denial raising the Seasiders hopes of a penalty.

With none forthcoming tempers were starting to rise on the sidelines.

But after a dour hour and a half defending a one-goal lead Stars showed that they were a complete football team in 2003.

In Premier Reserve Richmond Rovers defeated Workers 2-1.

Bangalow fourth division finished their season undefeated taking out the double with a 2-1 victory over Thistles. The Stars Over 35 team, coached by soccer columnist Mark Robinson, won the title for the third year in a row and completed a minor-major premiership and B Division Anzac Cup treble.

Greens triumph over the Rats - FNC Rugby Union

Southern Cross University's Brendan Brooke gets the ball away under intense pressure during Lismore City's 15-10 grand final victory over the Gold Rats.

In a superb end to a see-sawing season Lismore City held out Southern Cross University in the grand final at Mullumbimby 15-10.

Southern Cross, the defending premiers, found the final hurdle too high. Steven Hughes was able to cross for Lismore within five minutes from outside centre. Before the Uni players had been able to settle down they were behind 7-nil with John Lea successfully converting the try.

When Uni were able to find some room past the dominant Greens forward pack the Lismore defensive line was up in their face, limiting their options and spoiling the ball.

Lismore showed more cohesion in their forward pack and were able to stifle out a lot of promising Uni moves before they could reach the back line.

Damien Thom, one of the heroes of the Gold Rats incredible escape a week earlier against Ballina, and the competition's top point scorer for 2003, gave the students some hope with a penalty to draw within four points.

Captain Heath Conlon had been a damaging component in the Lismore defensive effort but also showed fine opportunism in attack. The flanker was able to slip over the line out wide on the blind side to give the Greens some breathing space at 12-3. The game then went through a sometimes gruelling, sometimes thrilling stalemate as each team tried to find a weakness.

John Lea was again called on with the boot and extended Lismore's lead with a penalty a quarter of an hour before time. Lismore led 15-3 and the students were in need of another miracle if they were to have any hope of winning back to back titles.

But the Lismore defensive effort was up to the task and by the time Nick Kirk finally crossed the line for University's first try it was too late to change the result of the match with only two minutes of time left.

Breakaways again! - LDNA Netball

Breakaways finished the season as champions, as most observers had anticipated prior to the start of the finals.

They had been able to get through the season undefeated, although a draw against Doleys did blot their copybook slightly.

Another draw with Daleys, this time in the major semi-final, saw Breakaways drop the match in extra time, forcing them into an elimination final against Daleys White in the preliminary final to be able to get another crack at Daleys in the grand final.

An upset result looked as though it may be on the cards after a torrid opening that saw Daleys break open a five-goal break early in the first quarter.

Breakaways were able to steady through tight back-play and were able to level the scores at 10-all at the first break.

They hit the front easily in the second quarter and were never headed again as they stretched out their lead to finish with a 37-31 victory.

The title is Breakaways fourth Premier Division title in succession.

Gradwell and Phillips hit top - Table Tennis

The Far North Coast summer competition is now well underway with round four of the challenger series played on Wednesday, September 10.

Col Gradwell and Col Phillips moved up the table to push Werner Borkhart and Graham bultitude out of top spot in Division One. Bruce Thomas and Brett Phillips are on top in Division Two. Warwick Robson and Jacob Griffin have been dominating their section in Division Three.