IF Wingham wins the Group Three Rugby League preliminary final on Sunday against Port City, 2RE will broadcast the grand final on Sunday September 18 from Port Macquarie.
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Radio 2RE general manager Murray Nelson confirmed this will be the case. Nelson will also call the match with Taree City coach Gary Bridge to provide the expert commentary. Local football was once an integral part of 2RE’s weekend programming, however, it’s been off the air for more than two decades. Nelson has plenty of experience calling league, having taken over from Marshall Loadsman back in the mid-1980s.
However, the station will only cover the match if Wingham’s involved. If the Breakers down the Tigers the grand final will be an all Port Macquarie affair for the second successive year.
No plans for premier
THEY may be the the newly crowned champions of the southern all age football competition but the Hallidays Point Barracudas have no plans of ever playing in the Football Mid North Coast Premier League.
“We just don’t have enough players,’’ coach Tim Stenning said.
The Barracudas returned to the competition this year after a couple of seasons on the sidelines when they couldn’t get a team.
“I think Old Bar would be the only side in our comp who would be considering the premier league,’’ Stenning added.
Old Bar, back in the all age comp this year, dominated the season-proper before being bundled out in straight sets in the finals series in a massive upset. The Barbarians will still target 2018 for a possible premier league comeback.
Meanwhile Football Mid North Coast chairman Mike Parsons has confirmed the premier league grand final will be played at Port Macquarie, even if it involves Forster-Tuncurry based sides Wallis Lake and Tuncurry-Forster.
The two teams played out the major semi-final last weekend. Parsons said there are no plans to switch the game. The Tuncurry North complex was considered a possibility to cater for an all Great Lakes decider, but that won’t be the case.
Fans of both clubs will just have to travel to the Hastings, which is perhaps a bit of a wasted opportunity.
Chatham under fire
CHATHAM has dominated the Manning A-grade men’s hockey premiership for three years but they are under pressure this season.
Sharks scored a thumping 5-2 win over the minor premiers in the major semi-final last weekend to get a saloon passage into the September 17 decider.
Chatham will now have to beat Tigers in the final to be played this weekend to earn another crack at Sharks.We’ll have more in Friday’s Times.
