SPORTSNEWS

with Chris Karas

Brilliant Benji is one out of box

WESTS Tigers have unearthed one of the hottest rugby league five eighth prospects in 18 year old Keebra Park whiz-kid Benji Marshall.
The schoolboy sensation gave early birds at Campbelltown Stadium last Sunday a glimpse of his attacking skills with a brilliant 4-try display for the U/19 Tigers in a crushing 50-10 victory over the Roosters.

Brisbane-based Benji is under contract to the Tigers and flew down to join Jody Rudd’s talented CUBS squad after training with Tim Sheens’ top grade outfit earlier in the year.

Marshall is one out of the box - a livewire colt with flashy footwork and the ability to create a try with a magic pass or sharp burst who is freely tipped to play first grade at some stage this season.

DANIEL Fitzhenry earned the plaudits after upstaging the great Brad Fittler in the Tigers’ gutsy 30-22 win over the Roosters in the Telstra Cup.
The young utility back never stopped probing and combined effectively with props John Skandalis and Anthony Laffranchi, centre Mark O’Halloran and half Lincoln Withers to plot the premiers’ downfall.

WESTS TIGERS 30 (L Covell, J Wilson, D Fitzhenry, B Galea, A Laffranchi tries; L Covell 5 gls) d ROOSTERS 22 (R Cross 2, B Finch, L Paea tries; B Fittler 3 gls).

Development Rep Squads

BALMAIN Tigers have selected their 2003 Junior Development rugby league squads for U/13, U/14 and U/15 age groups.
Squads are:

UNDER 13: Ben James, Brett Peacock, Jake Waihape, Mitchell Bergin, Phil Wagener, Robert Catanach, Ryan Isberg, Ryan Curtis, Tim Bennetts (Carlingford Cougars); Ben Kamionka, Dylan Brass, Matt Hyland, Junior Roqilia (Holy Cross); Antonio Son, Sulaiman Undeabi (Dundas Shamrocks); Jeff Boustani, Junior Goddard, Shane Khouiss (Leichhardt Wanderers); Dane Ferraro (North Ryde); Patrick Politoni (Leichhardt Juniors).

UNDER 14: Darren Nicholls, Pat Bower, Nathan Plummer, Mitchell Reid, Peter Politoni, Matt Lonnon, Michael Quinnane, Brad Lawler, Bishara Imseis, John Kempy (Holy Cross); Dane Gernhoefer, Dean Webster, Aaron Savidis, Beau Payne, Michael O’Neill, Todd Nosti (North Ryde); Jarryd Boyd, Luke Senico, Matt Corcoran, Robbie Dixon, Roy Smith, Sean Penning (Wanderers).

UNDER 15: Troy Adams, Wade Tyler, Ben Forbes, James Cameron, Alex Avalos, Callan Duncan, Ali Dan Dan, Gary Young, Daniel Casa, Daniel McGarry (Holy Cross); Matt Ryan, Troy Pearce, Alex Chan, Brad Dillon, Ibraham Musri, Jalal Ramlawie (North Ryde); Chris Scuglia (Leichhardt Juniors); Steve Page, Darren Shepherd, Tohi Leha, Joseph Lennon, Sosifa Vaivaka, Tamatiria Tuakeu, Travis Cuscuna (Wanderers).

TWT SPORTS STARS No 1 & 2

WORLD champion touch football utility Nadina Bambury and promising golfer Danielle Holder are the first monthly winners of the TWT Club Six/Ryde Sports Foundation Sports Star of the Year Award for 2003-04.

Thirty year old Bambury of Gladesville is regarded one of the best female touch football exponents in the land and helped Australia win the Open Mixed title at the recent World Cup in Japan.

Holder,14, of Denistone has impressed keen judges at North Ryde Golf Club where she has reduced her playing handicap by 20 since last October.
Danielle achieved the best overall result by a boy or girl in this year’s North West Shield competition - posting 43 stableford points at Ashlar Golf Course and 40 points at Muirfield.

Club Six - comprising Gladesville Sporties, Gladesville RSL, North Ryde Golf, North Ryde RSL, Ryde Eastwood Leagues and Ryde Ex Services Clubs - will again sponsor this year’s Awards to the tune of $12,000.

They will alternate the $300 monthly awards with NORTH RYDE GOLF Club to sponsor and host the first two monthly winners this Friday night at 6pm.
Nadina recovered from a torn quadricep muscle to help all-conquering Australia edge out New Zealand 6-5 in a thrilling final.

The Japanese sojourn was a memorable experience for the Aussies who toppled the Kiwis in five divisions to record a World Cup championship ‘clean sweep.’
Bambury shone in the preliminary rounds - notching a personal best 5 tries as Australia thumped hosts Japan 17-1 and turning in strong displays in wins over USA (20-0), Singapore (28-0), New Zealand (7-5) and Japan again (17-0) in a semi final.

Nippy Nadina took up the sport as an 18 year old student at St Clare’s Waverley under the guidance of NSW coach Dom Squadrito.

She had previously excelled at netball, athletics and softball and stamped her mark quickly in the Eastern Suburbs Touch Football Association, earning rep honors with Sydney and NSW before donning the green and gold in 1995.

Nadina has since been a regular in the Womens Open and Mixed teams and described the World Cup trophy win as her greatest sporting moment.
Victory was sweet for Bambury and co as they exacted revenge over the Kiwis - lowering their colours for the first time since the 1997 Trans Tasman series.

HOLDER, a Year 9 student at Cheltenham Girls High, qualified for the Australian Junior Girls Open and steered North Ryde to the semi finals of the Encourage Shield.

She was also selected in the Stretton Shield squad to play Cowra.

A versatile athlete, Danielle skippered the North West Koalas soccer team to an U/14 Grand Final triumph after representing Northern Sydney schools and St Andrews AFC with distinction. She also helped Young Ones win the Northern District Touch Football Grand Final last year and is a talented tennis player and softballer.

Hillies back in winners’ circle

HUNTERS Hill first grade rugby team ended the drought last Saturday with a convincing 27-13 win over Hornsby in the Suburban Rugby competition at Waitara Oval.

Match highlight was a spectacular last-minute try by star Hillies centre Billy Rainima after he snaffled a high floating ball from a kick 50 metres out and weaved unscathed through the defence to score.

The try, his second for the match, was a possible swansong for Rainima who is in negotiations with two grade clubs following his outstanding performance for NSW Suburban rep side that trounced Queensland Country 41-21. Rookie Colts five eighth Jack Benson also shone in his top grade debut.

Sportsmens Luncheon

RYDE Eastwood Football Club have organised a Sportsmens Luncheon on Friday July 11 at Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club from 12 noon.
Guest speaker is former Kangaroo hooker and Wests Tigers assistant coach Royce Simmons. MC is Mick Campbell with ventriloquist Darren Carr to entertain. Tickets $75 per head. Auction items, raffles and lucky door prizes. Inquiries Paul Fletcher 0411 095 365.

Hockey Panthers lead the way

RYDE Panthers Womens Hockey Club continue to dominate their respective competition in 2003.

First grade are outright leaders and maintained it with a 3-3 draw against second placed Glebe last weekend.

Second grade, who are in third spot, drew 1-1 with North Sydney while third grade are runaway leaders after thumping Norths 8-0.

The talented third graders are six points clear and have racked up 50 goals while conceding only three at the halfway mark of the season.

PH Panthers lost 5-2 to Gordon; Lions were beaten 3-0 by North Raiders while UTS Eagles tossed the Leopards 2-0.

MENS: Premier A: Firsts: North West Strikers 5 Ryde 1; Seconds: North West 2 Ryde 1; Thirds: Ryde 7 Norwest 0; Premier B: South West 6 Ryde 1; Seconds: South West 6 Ryde 2; Thirds: Ryde 1 South West 0; Second Division: Firsts: North West 4 Ryde 0; Seconds: Ryde 1 North West 1; Thirds: North West 4 Ryde 0; Third Division: Firsts: Ryde 2 North West 0; Seconds: North West 2 Ryde 1; JUNIORS: U/11A: Panthers 8 Manly 0; U/11B: Tigers 5 Northern Districts 0; Lions 2 Baulkham Hills 0; U/13A: Panthers 7 Manly 0; U/13B: Northern Districts 4 Tigers 2; U/15A: Panthers 13 Manly 0; U/15B: Tigers 5 Northern Districts 1; Lions 4 Baulkham Hills 0; U/17: Ryde 5 Northwest 2.

Gladesville RSL Soccer

U/6: Gladesville RSL Green 2 (E Penrose 2) WPH 0; U/7: Hills Hawks 2 Red 1 (S Parkinson); U/8: Ryde 2 Red 0; Green 4 (A Bligh 3, T Doring) Pennant Hills 0; White 2 (A Neraji, L James) Redfield 1; 9/3: Pennant Hills 3 GRSL 1 (L Brooks); 9/6: GRSL 12 Hills Hawks 0; 10/7: Epping Sports 2 GRSL 1 (O Wills); 11/4: GRSL 4 (T Carrad 3, S Rao); 12/3: GRSL 11 (N Yule 6, J Mast 2, A Casa, M Drivas, J Kerr) Oakhill 1; 12/5: WPH 3 GRSL 1 (J Sewell); 14/2: GRSL 3 (J Matchett, J Wells, N Player) Northern HFC 0; 17/2: Carlingford 7 GRSL 1 (R Yule); AA1: GRSL 4 Putney 1; AA2: Kenthurst 2 GRSL 1; AA3: Glenhaven 2 GRSL 1; AA14: Saints United 2 GRSL 1; AA17: GRSL 0 West Ryde Eagles 0; AA19: GRSL 4 Macquarie Sports 2; 035/1: St Andrews 4 GRSL 0; 035/3: Normanhurst 2 GRSL 1; 035/4: GRSL 3 Glenhaven 2; 035/6: West Ryde Rovers 3 GRSL 1 (M Matchett).

Holy Cross Soccer

U/6: Beecroft 6 Holy Cross Green 0; Pennant Hills 5 Gold 0; U/7: Normanhurst 3 White 0; Red 3 (C Dwyer, M Kimber, N Morfuni) North Ryde 1; 10/3: North Ryde 2 Holy Cross 1 (A Coluccio); 15/3: Holy Cross 3 (B McKay, D Intili, A Santoro) Eastwood St Andrews 1; 16/1: Holy Cross 1 (R Cavalo) Eastwood St Andrews 0; 17/2: West Ryde Rovers 2 Holy Cross 0; AA6: Hills Hawks 4 Holy Cross 2 (T Elias, R Casamento); AA10: Holy Cross 2 (L Giusti 2) Normanhurst 1; AA11: Putney Tennyson 4 Holy Cross 1 (P Busabathorn); AA13: Hills Hawks 5 Holy Cross 2 (P Ward, P O’Reilly).

All Saints Soccer

U/6: All Saints Blue 2 Saints United 2; WPHa 4 Gold 0; WPH 7 Orange 1; Red 10 Macquarie 0; U/7: Kenthurst 5 Blue 0; White 2 Saints United 0; U/8: Gold 3 St Andrews 0; Green 2 Ravens 0; 9/3: All Saints 1 Saints United 0; 10/4: Hills Hawks 1 All Saints 0; 10/7: All Saints 5 Glenhaven 0; 11/6: YMCA 4 All Saints 1; 12/4: Pacific Hills-Dural 4 All Saints 3.

Dream debut for Luke, 17

HAWK TALK with WAYNE KING

ROOKIE rake Luke Waihape and gun centre Mark Mundine produced stand out games as Ryde Eastwood rugby league team maintained top spot in the Jim Beam Cup with a 30-14 victory over Newtown last Saturday at Henson Park.

Mundine was the best player on the paddock and set up many a raid with dashing runs as the Hawks overcame the tenacious Jets to notch another win.

Balmain Jersey Flegg cub Waihape starred on debut with a non-stop performance and scored two of Ryde’s six tries - his second a 95 metre special after swooping on a loose ball.

A revved up Newtown jumped to an early 10-0 lead and provided stiff opposition before Hawks’ half Kieron Herring, Mundine, Waihape and speedy backs Mohammed Kassem and Aaron Fluke cut loose. Fullback Mark Trudgett capped a solid game with a try a three goals. Ryde host Wentworthville this Saturday at Leichhardt Oval at 1pm.

Woods reap a Burke dividend

By LUKE DOHERTY

EASTWOOD Rugby Club broke the 60 point barrier for the second week in a row last Saturday crushing North Sydney 63-11 at North Sydney Oval.

Fill in fly half Robbie Miller posted a hat trick of tries and Wallaby legend Matt Burke played his first game for the Woods since season 2000.

On Wallaby coach Eddie Jones’ recommendation Burke started at outside centre and turned in a strong all round display, kicking eight goals and looking sharp in attack.

This time last year the Woods added the Shute Shield to the TG Millner trophy cabinet but this season finished sixth on 35 points.

Eastwood coach Chris Hickey says his men fell short of their early season goal.

“At the start of the year we thought that 45 points would win it but no-one thought Easts would go through undefeated.”
The blue and whites have put on 124 points in their last two games and conceded 23 and Hickey seems to have ironed out the early season chinks in the Woods’ armour.

Eastwood’s Tooheys New Cup campaign starts this weekend against Manly and Hickey says his men are keen to prove that they can dominate the premier competition like they did last year.

Putney Soccer

U11/4: Putney-Tennyson 6 (Todd Stephenson 3, Troy Johnson 2, Gage Jarvis) Thornleigh 1; AA11: Putney 4 (Matt Burton 2, Chris Canduff 2) Holy Cross 1; AA1: GRSL 4 Putney 1 (Nathan ‘Michael Owen’ Sixsmith).

Ravens Soccer

U/6: Ravens Red 4 (N Barbieri) West Ryde Rovers 0; White 8 (R Levine 6, M Powell, J Rennie) Macquarie Sports 2; U/7: Blue 5 (D Carollo 3, J Di Girolamo, H Trifonas) Nth Epping Rangers 1; Green 5 (J Naylor 3, M Gosbell 2) YMCA 1; Orange 1 (A Catt) WPH 1; U/8: Green 2 (T Crysell, B Denlow) All Saints 0; 9/1: NMH 3 Ravens 1 (D Whitlock); 9/3: Ravens 1 WPH 0; 9/6: Putney 4 Ravens 0; 10/3: Ravens 1 (D Page) Roselea 1; 10/4: Ravens 2 Ryde 0; 11/1: Hills Hawks 4 Ravens 0; 11/4: Ravens 3 (J Lister-Barker, E Murphy, A Waughman) St Andrews 0; 12/2: Redfield 2 Ravens 1 (T Shepherd); 12/5: Ravens 1 Nth Epping Rangers 0; 12/6: Glenhaven 1 Ravens 0; 15/2: Redfield 6 Ravens 2; 15/4: WPH 8 Ravens 0; 16/1: Ravens 2 Redfield 0; 17/1: Ravens 7 Oakhill 0; 18/21: YMCA 3 Ravens 1 (J Christofferson); AA4: Beecroft 4 Ravens 2 ; AA8: Ravens 1 (T Hughes) West Ryde Eagles 1; AA9: Ravens 1 Thornleigh 0; AA10: Epping-Eastwood 2 Ravens 0; AA15: YMCA 6 Ravens 3; 035/1: Ravens 5 (M Koussas 3, S Disch 2) St Andrews 1; 035/2: Ravens 5 ( Fester Geiss 2, Kiwi 2, M Baldwin) YMCA 0; 035/4: Ravens 4 Pennant Hills 0; Premier League: Ravens 4 Macquarie 1; PL Reserves: Ravens 4 Macquarie 0; WOMEN: U/8: Black 5 (H Brodie 3, M Bollard, J Rudge) Red 4 ( Z Miller 2, M Sulham, E Brown); 10/1: Saints United 0 Black 0; Saints 4 White 0; 10/2: Ravens C 0 Russell Lea 0; 11/1: Ravens Black 2 Russell Lea 1; White 4 Saints 0; Red 2 Putney Rangers 0; 12/1: Black 1 Kenthurst 1; 12/2: White 2 Russell Lea 1; 13/1: Black 3 Russell Lea 0; White 1 Saints 0; 14/2: YMCA 2 Ravens 0; U/15: Ravens 0 WPH 0; 16/1: Ravens 4 Leichhardt 0; 16/2: GRSL 2 Ravens 1; AA4: Balmain 2 Ravens 0; AA6: YMCA 4 Ravens 1; AA1: Putney 1 Ravens 0.

Local driver wins title

David Masing of West Ryde likes working on, and racing, cars.

Last weekend the 19-year-old became a national champion at the Radio Control Off Road Car Club titles at Blenheim Park North Ryde.

David raced his radio control buggy in the two-wheel drive 540 Motor Class and finished with two firsts and a second to earn the title.

Twenty two drivers competed in the two-wheel drive Stock class with Robert Sheppard from Ryde finishing ninth in the A final; Kierra Thorn, the only girl, finished fifth in the B Final while Stuart Gale finished seventh.

Gary Boyce of Eastwood competed in the two-wheel drive Senior Group 20 class and finished eighth overall in the A Final.

Congratulations to Magnus Heywood who won first prize - an Associated RC10 Truck - drawn at the National Championships.

Balmain Junior League 2003

UNDER 9: Holy Cross 39 North Ryde 18; Leichhardt Juniors 28 Dundas Shamrocks 10; Five Dock RSL 38 Concord/Burwood United 0; Carlingford Cougars (bye).

UNDER 10: North Ryde 22 Five Dock RSL 15; Concord/Burwood (bye).

UNDER 11: North Ryde Red 22 Leichhardt Juniors 15; Five Dock RSL 25 Cougars 10; North Ryde White 27 Leichhardt Wanderers 19; Concord/Burwood 41 Holy Cross 12.

UNDER 12: Leichhardt Juniors 28 Wanderers 5; North Ryde 44 Holy Cross 3; Concord/Burwood (bye).

UNDER 13A: Hurstville United 16 Carlingford Cougars 12; Earlwood Saints 72 Shamrocks 0; Holy Cross 30 Brighton Seagulls 8.

UNDER 13B: Penshurst RSL 36 Kingsgrove Colts 20; Renown United 44 Wanderers 12; North Ryde 22 Arncliffe Scots 16.

UNDER 14A: Hurstville 36 Wanderers 6; Holy Cross 44 Renown 4; North Ryde 40 Arncliffe Scots 24; Deferred: Holy Cross 26 North Ryde 10.

UNDER 14B: Riverwood Legion 30 Penshurst RSL 6; Kingsgrove Colts 48 Brighton Seagulls 0; Concord/Burwood (bye).

UNDER 15: Holy Cross 12 Penshurst RSL 4; Hurstville 28 Arncliffe Scots 24; Earlwood Saints 34 Kingsgrove Colts 10; North Ryde 50 Wanderers 12.

UNDER 16: Wanderers 38 Kingsgrove Colts 36; Leichhardt Juniors 24 Renown 10; Penshurst RSL 32 Earlwood Saints 20.

UNDER 18: Leichhardt Juniors 32 Kingsgrove Colts 20; Hurstville 24 North Ryde 8; Wanderers 34 Brighton Seagulls 28; Renown 40 Riverwood 18; Concord/Burwood 20 Arncliffe Scots 16; Deferred: Renown 22 North Ryde 12.

UNDER 21: North Ryde 28 Renown 20; Penshurst RSL 46 West Ryde-Denistone 10; Hurstville 66 Arncliffe Scots 6; Brighton Seagulls (bye).

A GRADE: Arncliffe Scots 18 Renown 14; Kings Head Cowboys d Kogarah Cougars; Hurstville d West Ryde-Denistone; Brighton Seagulls 28 Earlwood Saints 26.

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