Dubbo basketball talent Luke Griffiths has been away at Penrith this week playing for Combined Catholic Colleges in the New South Wales All Schools championships.
As well as he played, Luke missed out on selection in the NSW team to contest the Australian Championships set down for Canberra in November.
Luke is one of the many talented young basketballers in Dubbo and will only improve playing in such a high-quality tournament.
Combined High Schools (CHS) won the men’s division defeating Combined Independent Schools (CIS) 68-60 and CCC 98-96, while CCC defeated CIS 81-77 in the final game of the day to finish in second position.
The women’s division was a three-way tie, with CHS defeating CCC 67-64, CIS winning over CHS 72-70 and CCC defeating CIS 64-60.
Haylee Lepaio and Rachel Murray (from Bathurst High) played for CHS and both young women won selection to the NSW team which will contest the Australian All-Schools Championships in Canberra in November.
NSW teams and carnival results are on page 37.
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I had an interesting talk with Dubbo Rhinos captain-coach Glenn Gallagher this week with his side holding down fifth place on the Blowes Menswear Cup rugby ladder after nine rounds.
What a great turnaround for the club it has been in the space of three months, bearing in mind that originally Central West didn’t consider them a viable proposition and as a result weren’t included in the draw.
However there was eventually a change of mind and with three senior teams and colts, the Rhinos were back in the mix.
Then, with a new executive, some quality players and a new outlook on the game (and the club), things are going nicely for the Rhinos.
But Glenn admitted he still has work to do on the minds of some of the players. Last weekend they went down 28-24 to Forbes (6th), but should have won.
“I think some of the players went to Parkes expecting to win without putting in as they are capable,” he said.
“We got beat and now we’re just two points in front of Forbes and borderline cases for a place in the semi-finals.
“The important thing is that we have to realise if we are going to be genuine finals contenders then we have to play like it and get over the top of teams under us.
“Until we do that then we are going to struggle when the big games against the top clubs come up.”
We’re now at the halfway point of the competition of 18 rounds and I think we could suggest that Dubbo Roos, Bulldogs and Narromine Gorillas would be in the semi-finals leaving CSU Bathurst, the Rhinos and Forbes as contenders for the final two places.
The next four weeks will be vital for the Rhinos when they meet Cowra, CSU Bathurst, Narromine and Bulldogs.
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One of the nice stories of the week in sport was the signing of former Wallaby Julian Huxley by the Brumbies as they’re kicking coach.
Huxley was one of my favourite players before his career ended with news in March that he had a brain tumour.
A veteran of 53 Super rugby games, Huxley was part of Australia’s World Cup squad last year after making his Test debut against Wales earlier in the season.
While his playing career may have ended prematurely hopefully he can have a quality of life and be involved with a sport that offered so much to him.
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While I sympathise with the Dubbo Crows hockey team about having their game terminated at Lithgow last Saturday, I can see where the Lithgow Hockey Association is coming from.
The game was called off early in the second half because some Dubbo players weren’t wearing mouth guards and this, according to sources, was because it contravened rules in the local hockey association bylaws and insurance policy and coverage of players using the complex.
Then came a communication from Hockey NSW this week, dated June 4:
Shin pads: It is a Hockey Australia requirement that all registered hockey players wear shin protection at all times during a match in which they participate.
Mouthguards: Hockey NSW State Championships Rules state under Rule 6. Uniforms: 6.6. Field players must wear, at all times during a match in which they participate, shin pads and mouth guards.
Again there seems a grey area here, that with shin pads ALL players must wear them, but the rule on mouthguards applies in this case to just State Championships.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports are that Lithgow Panthers, who were leading the Crows 3-0 when the game was called off, would be awarded winning points.