Gosford Rugby League: the Eye of the Storm magazine - June 2019 (vol 34)

GOSFORD RUGBY LEAGUE

Issue No. 34: June 2019

- Est. 2014 -

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THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE – JUNE 2019

Vol 34: June, 2019

Well here we are, twenty seasons on from the demise of the famous Gosford Townies. In this edition The Eye takes a detailed look back, a momentary look forward, while also attempting a hard hitting interview with the CCDRL President. Disappointingly, the interview does appear to have stalled somewhere between Narara and Tuggerah.

We lost one of our clubs most famous sons on ANZAC Day, when Gosford Townies & Newtown Bluebags great, Ron Hansen passed away aged 81.

Ron (pictured right) was a key member of Gosford’s 1958 & 1959 premiership winning teams before heading south to play six seasons in the Sydney premiership.

Gosford Rugby League: the Eye of the Storm magazine plans to publish a detailed tribute to Ron Hansen in our next edition.

Vale Ron Hansen (1938-2019)

It would appear that Gosford Kariong rugby league is no longer of any interest to the good folk down at the Coast Community News. Having happily published our articles over the past half a decade the paper has decided to shun all copy sent there way in 2019. Quite bafflingly, the editor has preferred to shine a light on local soccer, rugby, athletics, girls Futsal, tenpin bowling and the ever popular, left handed quoits.

All complaints to be sent to - editorial@centralcoastnews.net

© 2019 Opinions expressed in this publication are derived solely from the scattered & random thoughts of the author; none of which are necessarily shared by the GKS club … nor anyone else on the planet really.

A rugby league team is a multi faceted beast.

Decent sides are made up of a contrasting amalgam of hard workers, scheming organizers and hot heeled dashers. The latter category invariably nabs all of the attention and with that tradition very much in mind, The Eye would like to highlight a couple of early season try scoring feats.

Fetineni Aho (U11s & U12s) and Brayden Tory (U14s) have crossed for a ridiculous number of four pointers to start 2019. Honourable mentions also go out to Nick Elwin (U16s), Mick Maloney (U12s) & Travis Burgess (U14s).

Neni Aho

Brayden Tory

22 tries in 8 games

13 tries in 6 games

The spread featured in our last edition, which pictorially coveted the club’s juniors who are currently playing First Grade on the Coast, had one glaring inaccuracy, one nagging oversight, and a need for one sombre update. Erina second rower Bryce Holland has kindly informed The Eye that he is not in fact the Bryce Holland who ran rampant for the Kariong Kookaburra U7s back in 1999 (apologies Bryce). We also carelessly omitted to include a picture of Zac Starkey (pictured right) who in 2019 is strutting his stuff with the battling Ourimbah Ones. While the prognosis on Lachie Bell’s leg injury proved worse than first thought and having undergone surgery, the 2018 Rookie of the Year is sadly out for the season.

© 2019 Opinions expressed in this publication are derived solely from the scattered & random thoughts of the author; none of which are necessarily shared by the GKS club … nor anyone else on the planet really.

Photo: Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE JUNE 2019

Gosford Rugby League: The Eye of the Storm Magazine Proudly leading the Narara rugby league publications market.

Number One since 2014.

The Eye the Storm The EyeofMedia Media Conglomerate Conglomerate

FULLY WOKE

-- EYE EXCLUSIVE --

BLING SCANDAL ROCKS ROUND FIVE Photo – Andrew Stark

Our exclusive Eye photograph graphically captures the moment which has rocked the Narara sporting community to its very core. Storm U16s skipper Gokhan Emeli is seen taking an innocuous early hit up during the round five game against the Ourimley Vale Manthers when he is suddenly confronted by a rogue piece of finger adornment. The shock addition of hand bling does represent a clear breach of rule 4 sub section (d) of the laws of rugby league (see below), and so egregious was this flaunting of the rules that we’ve resorted to using two angry looking red arrows and a matching red highlighter circle in formulating our stark presentation.

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m Al

ost

In The Press …

Elwin Five Sinks Ourimley Vale

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by Andrew Stark Submitted to Coast Community News 13th May, 2019 (not published)

The Gosford Kariong Storm under 16 team continues to dominate their division as Central Coast junior rugby league heads toward mid season. A round five, five try haul to left edge back rower Nick Elwin was the highlight of a comprehensive 32-20 win over OurimbahBerkeley Vale played at Carrington Street, Narara.

Elwin came into the game, off the bench, mid way through the opening half when the scores were locked at 10-a-piece. The former Terrigal Shark made an immediate impact, crossing for two tries in two minutes in the shadows of the halftime break, before adding a further three during the second period. The victory maintains the Storms top billing on the competition ladder and with representative players Nash Dorratt-Mavin and Isaac Vuna back in the fold, Gosford Kariong will be a tough nut to crack heading into the winter months.

In other round five action; the Storm under 15s slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat, falling 28-10 to Umina. Centre Harley Barker a standout on the right edge for the Bunnies.

The Gosford under 14s retained their unbeaten status via a 38-8 victory over The Entrance Tigers; the home side led 20-4 at oranges and a hat-trick of tries to speedster, Brayden Tory ensured a handsome Storm victory.

SADLY OUR COPY ENDED UP ON

Please note: this is the submitted piece in it’s entirety. The editor of the Coast Community News is responsible for the changes that ultimately appear (or don’t appear) in the newspaper.

Photo – Andrew Stark

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SOARING

SKYWARD

U16s centre Michael Porter flies high to score a spectacular try against Toukley during round 4

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Photos – Andrew Stark

YIKES!

An In-depth Investigative Eye Feature

by Andrew Stark

Richard Phillips fires out a pass for the Townies during their final season in the Central Coast First Grade competition.

Photo courtesy of The Sun Weekly.

When reporting on the Gosford Rugby League Club’s fateful decision to opt out of the Central Coast First Grade competition, The Sun Weekly of the 24th of March, 2000, ran with the headline;

Townies take time out to regroup Twenty seasons on … and the protracted period of regrouping shows no sign of abating any time soon …

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The planets did align rather catastrophically for the Gosford Townies back during the late 1990s and a proud footy club was subsequently forced into a long hiatus.

Multiple factors conspired to undo the famous club. The Eye understands that the Daryl Turner coached Townies side of 1997 is our dooms day starting point. The team battled magnificently through the semi final series that year before having a man sent off early in the grand final and ultimately falling 32-6 to Wyong. Word is that the side cost more to put together than the budget was able to deal with.

Twelve months later, and with debt growing as an issue, the club suddenly found itself being unceremoniously evicted from its Grahame Park base as the feverish push to relocate the North Sydney Bears to Gosford took hold. Flicked to one side, the building of the Central Coast Stadium saw the Townies effectively re-branded , Out-Of-Townies. The club was Daryl Turner forced to head up to Mt Penang to play all of its home games. Despite the First Grade team again qualifying for the semi finals in 1998, the financial woes continued to swirl bleakly and a huge turn over of players at season’s end left the cupboard all but bare heading into 1999. A challenging season followed.

Buck Rogers

1999 saw Umina re-admitted to the competition and they appointed Daryl Turner as their head coach. The former Wests Magpie top grader took a host of Gosford players with him, leaving the new Townies mentor, Graham Buck Rogers with little to work with.

I’m not expecting to set the world on fire Townies 1999 coach, Graham Buck Rogers preempts a winless season (16-4-99).

Rogers was well credentialed, having previously coached lower grade teams at both Penrith and Canberra. With only a handful of first graders on the books however, the Townies proceeded to pick up the wooden spoon in both First THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE – JUNE 2019

and Reserve Grade. They folded their Third Grade team a month into the season and hadn’t entered the Under 18s competition. It was a grim season

which included a forfeit to Wyong and a final round 82-6 loss to eventual premiers Woy Woy. The Reserve Grade team provided the club’s only victory of 1999 when they defeated Berkeley Vale 28-10 at Kariong during May. The Gosford Reggies however also suffered some huge defeats throughout the year, most notably a 102-0 loss to The Entrance.

By the time trial games had rolled around for the following season, it was apparent that the Townies simply didn’t have enough players to fill two senior teams. The club’s committee was forced to make the heartbreaking decision to withdraw from the CCDRL competition. They preferred the option of playing in the Second Division Saturday League while attempting to re-stock the club coffers, with a view to re-entering the First Grade competition in 2001.

There’s a win not too far away The eternally optimistic Buck Rogers after his side was edged out 22-16 by Ourimbah during mid July of 1999. Somewhat depressingly, here we are twenty years on and a Gosford First Grade victory continues to remain wholly illusionary.

Townies forward Grant Turner battles hard against Umina during 1999

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As we now know; the Townies never did make it back. They played Saturday League in 2000 and qualified for the semi finals. The following year they changed their name to the Gosford Cougars, in what The Eye can only assume was a rather crude way of side stepping the Townies debt. The Central Coast Second Division had petered out by 2006 and the Gosford Cougars entered the CCDRL Reserve Grade competition for one season, playing in a slot temporarily left vacant by the Erina club.

The Eagles Twos returned in 2007 and the Cougars, with no where left to go, disbanded.

Here Come The Storm ‌ By 2010, the Gosford Kariong Storm junior club were ready to branch into the realms of senior footy. The club had originally been formed via a merger between the Gosford Giants JRLFC (formerly Townies) and the Kariong Kookaburras JRLFC during the 1999/2000 off-season. In 2010 the Storm entered the CCDRL Open Grade competition (Third Grade) and proceeded to shock everyone by roaring into the semi finals.

Injuries ultimately cruelled their campaign however confidence for the future was high after such a bold first up showing. The following winter provided a further, competitive series of results and the Storm missed qualifying for the finals by just the barest of margins. The Mark Churcher coached side finished equal fifth, alongside eventual premiers Central Wyong; missing the cut via a 9 point for and against differential.

Left Above: The Gosford Cougars emblem.

Left Middle: Gosford Cougars 2005 team which

played in the 2nd Division Ken Cosgrove Cup competition.

Left Bottom: The Cougars side of 2006 which finished well down the standings in the CCDRL Reserve Grade competition.

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2010 Open Grade footy at Carrington Street. Coach Cameron Wilson is pictured with Paul Gosper.

After two highly competitive Open Grade seasons, The Eye understands that the club was set to add a Reserve Grade side in 2012. That was before the CCDRL decided to pull the rug out from under all aspirational clubs with a dream of building back into seniors football. The games administrators introduced a policy which deemed that only clubs fielding First, Reserve & Open Grade sides would be permitted to remain as a part of the CCDRL. Another two seasons in the wilderness followed before a softening of this stricture allowed GK to re-enter the Open Grade competition in 2014. A miserable year followed in which no games were won and the year ended with a sensational ring-in scandal that saw the club suspended for a full season while also copping a heavy fine.

Having served the 12 month ban … the Ed Johnson coached side of 2016 were only allowed to re-enter the competition if they agreed to play in a slot let open by the Terrigal club. All Storm home fixtures were duly consigned to Duffys Road and to make things doubly undignified; the Sharks demanded that Gosford wear their blue, black & white strip at all ‘home’ games.

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Another winless season followed and the relationship with the Sharks, rather unsurprisingly, ended acrimoniously.

In 2017 & 2018 the Gosford Kariong Open Grade side headed north from Terrigal and played in the Berkeley Vale slot. While the side was still not permitted to play home games at Carrington Street, the Panthers did at least allow them to wear their own jerseys. The latter of these season’s saw the Storm climb off the bottom of the competition ladder having notched three fine wins and a draw.

Sadly, by kick off to the current season, intra-team personality clashes and a general waning of enthusiasm saw a number of players drift away. The 2019 campaign never quite reached the launching pad and was abandoned through a lack of interest. The re-emergence of the Tall Timbers pub team had attracted some of the lads, while a few others drifted back to Terrigal, who were being coached by popular former team mate Lewis Addison.

Photo – Andrew Stark.

Above; Nathan Linsley leads the Gosford Kariong Storm Open Grade out during 2014.

This was the last season in which the club was permitted to play home games at Carrington Street.

Opposite Page – Top: A hopelessly undermanned Gosford team, forced to wear Terrigal colours, pack a three man scrum against the Panthers in 2016. Middle: The Storm celebrate victory at Northern Lakes during 2018. Bottom: Sean Portus receives some words of encouragement from Jason Bird during a

tough 2016 afternoon at Bateau Bay. THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE – JUNE 2019

Photos: Andrew Stark

Gosford president Warren Taylor insists the club will only be out of the competition for a year.

Central Coast Express Advocate 24-3-2000..

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Photo – Andrew Stark.

Travis Mantell, Gosford Kariong Open Grade 2018

The Future?

So is Gosford a club on the rise? Or is it doomed to perennially tread water?

2019 has seen the Storm once again drop out of senior football while entering just five teams in the junior competition age groupings. This number is down from seven in 2018 and a rather sobering historical statistic reveals that during the initial 2000 season, the newly minted club fielded seven teams from U10s up to U16s. Three of these were Division One sides and three played in Division Two. This season, the Storm has two Division Two teams and three Division Three sides. So in twenty years, the Storm has gone backwards.* The shining light for the future however is to be found below the current list of competition tables. In 2019 the club is fielding five teams from U6s through to the U9(1)s and this talented crop of Gosford Kariong youngsters undoubtedly carry the future of our club in their eager little hands.

The failure of the GK Open Grade team to find traction has been a major disappointment. Given the shabby treatment afforded fringe clubs such as Gosford Kariong and St Edwards by the local administration, one wonders whether any future foray into the seniors might not be better served by exploring Saturday footy in the Newcastle & Hunter competition. This would enable the club to play home games at Carrington Street, with a number of them ideally tacked on to the end of a program of junior games. It would also allow our players to let their hair down after a game … rather than before it. * It must be pointed out however that junior rugby league numbers have gone backwards right across the spectrum during the past two decades.

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While GK stepping up for another dash at senior footy in the next few seasons is a distinct possibility, the chances of a reformed Gosford Townies reemerging to mix it with the big boys in the 2.30pm slot, does sadly present as a distant and wholly fanciful mirage.

The pipe dream of a Gosford First Grade team re-entering the local competition, well, this would take a truckload of money and a sub committee of rugby league zealots who’d need to have a genuine passion for making it happen. One suspects it would also require some form of encouragement from the CCDRL. An on-line group discussion among members of the Gosford Kariong committee during a lazy Sunday back in 2018 tossed some Monopoly money numbers around in a bid to reveal a rough ballpark figure. The general consensus was that to enter a First Grade side in the Central Coast competition today, a club would require at least $200,000 per season.

One imagines the return of the Gosford Townies brand might generate an initial boost in press coverage, sponsorship and goodwill. Beyond that, two hundred large would, at 10 cents a pop, require a lot of empties to be fed into the recycling machine in the West Gossy shops car park. It’s a hefty amount !

So how on earth does Gosford rugby league reconnect with its past glories, and just what does the future hold ?

This vexed three lined question, along with reams of data pertaining to Gosford rugby league and its long and proud history was recently passed on to the mensa accredited nerdoids at Eye Logistics Pty Ltd. Ltd The heavily bespectacled bean counters duly fed the information into their mega sized mainframe and after much whizzing, whirring and the release of quite a bit of pungent discharge (pardon me); the giant computer spat out its response. Rather cryptically, it answered our question, with a further question. The seven word response read simply …

Does anyone have John Singleton’s phone number ?

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INTERVIEW

SE E MIN G LY

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Will Gosford ever get a firm foothold back into senior footy?

Is it simply a pipe dream to imagine that the Townies might one day awake from their two decade slumber and return to top flight rugby league on the Central Coast?

To help better understand on or two of the administrative obstacles that may or may not be standing in the way of a Gosford comeback,

The Eye fired off a handful of questions to the Central Coast Divisional Rugby League President, Gerard Andrews Eye: - Firstly Gerard, I understand that when the Gosford Townies withdrew from the competition back in March of 2000, they owed money to the CCDRL. What is the status of that debt today? If the Townies brand were to be resurrected into the future, is there any chance this twenty year old debt might be waved?

G.A: - … no response Eye: - Do you envisage any opposition at an administrative level to the reemergence of the Gosford Townies into senior football? I guess what I’m really asking here is whether the old Townies club might have left any other skeletons in the closet?

G.A: - … no response Eye: - Back in 2012 the CCDRL introduced a policy whereby a club was required to field a First Grade team before it was allowed to compete at any level of senior football. I recall Gosford Kariong, and the 2011 Open Grade premiers Central Wyong were both forced to drop out in 2012 as they had no First or Reserve Grade. A few seasons later, this policy was softened and Gosford Kariong and St Edwards were allowed to play Open Grade so long as they could find a First Grade club with a vacant 11.30am slot. This arrangement, by it’s nature, made it impossible for these clubs to play games on their home grounds. During more recent times, we have seen Northern Lakes in 2018 and now Toukley this season enter the Reserve, Open and Ladies Tag competitions and in doing so, have been permitted to play home games.

INTERVIEW

SE E MIN G LY

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Eye: - So my question is, how many lower grade competitions must a club enter before they are afforded stand alone status? If Gosford were to enter Reserve, Open and Ladies Tag teams in the future, would that entitle the club to play its home games at Carrington St Oval, Narara?

G.A: - … no response Eye: - Lastly, I’m interested in how the CCDRL views the Newcastle & Hunter Rugby League. A few seasons back the Umina Bunnies played in this Saturday league and this year we have teams from Budgewoi and the Tall Timbers competing outside the district.

I must admit that in attempting to plot a viable course back into senior footy for Gosford, the possibility of playing Saturday afternoon home games at Carrington Street looks quite appealing. These genuine home fixtures would ideally be tapped onto the end of a day of junior games and it would be a wonderful club building exercise for Gosford to have its young players, after they'd played for their respective teams, in attendance to support the club's senior side (something which hasn’t happened since 2014). Of course the down side to entering the Newcastle League would be the travel.

So my question is; what is the CCDRL's position on local clubs dashing over the border to play in neighbouring competition’s, and are these club’s likely to face any sort of recrimination, if and when they return to the CCDRL fold?

G.A: - … no response Eye: - Thanks Gerard, I really appreciate your time.

Footnote:- Questions were submitted to the CCDRL on May the 5th.

They remain unanswered at time of going to press (28th May).

SEEMINGLY

Above:

Grand Final day 1963 when the Gosford Townies defeated Ourimbah 6-5 in a thriller Below:

The semi final bound Gosford Kariong Storm Open Grade team of 2010

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THREE TRY HERO Zach Tames The Sharks

Photos – Andrew Stark

Hey Buddy, You’re Blocking My View

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Purchasing Photos …

It’s Just So Easy!

Sling the guy with the camera a lobster ($20), and within days he’ll email you a couple of photo’s (jpeg files), featuring your little champion (or not so little champion) captured in full flight for the mighty Gosford Kariong Storm.

Simply hand over one, crisp, orangey note, along with your email address, and sit back & marvel as the old bloke gets frantically to work on your order.

Purchases can also be made using via Paypal for $22.

Email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE – JUNE 2019

FINAL TACKLE OPTION

The Eye Media Conglomerate

Photos – Andrew Stark

2019 COMPETITION LADDERS As of 28-5-19

U16(2)s

Pts

Gosford Kariong

14

Toukley Terrigal Our/BV Erina

8 8 6 6

U12(3)s

Pts

Berkeley Vale Umina Kincumber Toukley The Entrance

11 10 10 9 8

Gosford Kariong

4

St Edwards

2

U14(3)s

Pts

Gosford Kariong

14

Terrigal Northern Lakes Erina The Entrance Wyong

10 8 6 4 0

Pts

Umina/Woy (Red) Terrigal Berkeley Vale

12 12 10

Gosford Kariong

8

The Entrance Umina/Woy (Green) Northern Lakes Blue Haven Wyong Budgewoi

8 7 4 4 3 2

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U15(2)s

U11(3)s

Pts

Gosford Kariong

14

Wyong Terrigal Kincumber Erina St Edwards Woy Woy Northern Lakes Warnervale Budgewoi

12 10 10 9 8 5 2 0 0

Under 13s Rep Players Photo – courtesy of the Central Coast Express Advocate the Back Page

‘Gosford Rugby League: the Eye of the Storm’ e-mag compiled, photographed, written & designed by Andrew Stark

© 2019 Contact - 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com

Congratulations to Jack Simmons GK - U14(3)s … and Storm juniors; Benji Keene-O’Keefe, Lorenzo Godoy & Blake Hodge on their selection in the 2019 Central Coast Under 13 representative squad.