A look at what's happening in local footy

THE Old Bar Clams Rugby side are the early nomination for the feel good story of the footy season.

Old Bar returned to the Lower North Coast competition this year after skipping 2022 due to a lack of players. The Clams have been bolstered by a number of Pacific Island players now working at the Wingham Beef Exports. However, they had a potentially tough initiation to the LNC comp when they tackled defending premiers Wallamba at Nabiac's impressive Aub Ferris Field last Saturday.

It finished two tries apiece but with Wallamba in front 13-10 at fulltime. Goal kicking proved a problem for the Clams. Old Bar led for much of the encounter, which was fairly scrappy. After the decade the club has endured, where they've been in and out of the competition and also been on the end of some fearful hammerings, a three point loss to the premiers was an encouraging start. As a wag noted the Clams would previously start organising a Mad Monday if they won the toss.

There are some promising players in their squad, particularly halfback Mana Naituku and centre Tulia Fifita. Skipper Phil Koch was strong at five-eighth and then breakaway and he'll appreciate playing in better company this year.

Old Bar club great Anthony 'Mango' Hogan was an interested spectator and he is enthusiastic about the side's prospects this year. If they can sort out their goal kicking problems and develop a bit more structure, the Clams will give the premiership a real shot this season.

WALLAMBA rugby and football clubs share the facilities at the Aub Ferris Field and as such the goal posts are designed for use in both codes.

However, this question was posed on Saturday by an observer: what happens during a football clash if the ball rebounds back into play after hitting the rugby uprights or cross bar? Is it play on or play stopped, given the cross bar and uprights aren't part of traditional football posts.

Footy Shorts certainly didn't know the answer. If anyone can help, contact us at mick.mcdonald@manningrivertimes.com.au

OLD Bar Pirates held a brief function before the kick-off of the Group Three first grade rugby league clash on Sunday against Wauchope to present Tony Kenyaro with life membership. Tony has been a stalwart for the club, cooking the barbecue for club's home matches for something like 22 years. He's cooked a lot of steak sandwiches in that time

Fellow life member Mark Rutledge, a former club president, made the presentation to Tony.

AS ever, referee numbers in Group Three are precarious. So-much-so that retired whistle blower and current management committee member Ian 'Charlie' Andrews had to run a line in the under 18 fixture between Wauchope and Old Bar at Old Bar last Sunday.

"We could certainly do with a few more numbers,'' Charlie said later.

Sunday's Old Bar/Wingham encounters also marked new board member Michael Clarke's debut looking after the official duties that includes, among other things time keeping, overseeing the interchange and working the scoreboard.

WHILE one official was making his debut at Old Bar, an ex-official was enjoying retirement.

Wayne Bridge stood down as group chairman at last year's annual meeting, ending a 15-year tenure. He was at the Wingham/Forster-Tuncurry game at Wingham where he was happy to sit in the grandstand and watch the action instead of in the official area, where he's usually stationed.

His sons, Tim and Matt, were in the Tigers side that whipped Forster 52-4, although it wasn't a completely happy day for the family, with Tim sustaining an ankle injury. He'll have scans this week to determine the extent of the damage.

THERE was a big crowd at Old Bar on Sunday for the clash against Wauchope and an impressive turnout at Wingham as well.

"It's the biggest crowd I've seen at Wingham for years - it was a semi-final crowd,'' a spectator told Footy Shorts.

Club treasurer Craig Martin reports the take for the day was a touch over $19,000 from the gate, bar and canteen.

"The gate was $3000 - but all our life members get in for nothing as do our sponsors and juniors,'' Martin said.

"I know our players don't like Sunday games, but that's when we get the bigger crowds.''

Old Bar and Wingham were big winners. It augers well for this Saturday's clash between the two sides at Old Bar Reserve.

Last Sunday's first grade match was Wingham captain-coach Mitch Collins' 100^th for the Tigers. As reported last Friday, he joins his dad, Paul 'Crackers' Collins and grandfather, Kingsley 'Dooley' Collins in the 100 game club. That's a lot of games from one family.

Mitch will be the guest on Friday's On the Bench segment.

FORSTER-Tuncurry club Southern United has made an impressive start to the Newcastle Zone 2 football competition this year, with three wins from as many starts to sit on top of the ladder.

The Ospreys, as they are known, accounted for Medowie last weekend. On Saturday they'll host Kurri at the South Street Fields. Jonathon Newman coaches the first grade side. However, he missed last weekend's win as he is in Tokyo with the Northern NSW under 14 team, where he's assistant coach and team physio.

Southern were admitted to the Newcastle competition after the Coastal Premier League went kaput late last year. They're the first club from the Great Lakes to play in a Newcastle comp. The Ospreys were grand finalists in the CPL in 2022.

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