Huge numbers have registered for the Football Far North Coast Miniroos season.The MiniRoos season commences on Saturday 4 May, with several thousand girls and boys in the age group of 5 to 11, eagerly waiting to get onto the pitch. A total of 409 MiniRoos teams will participate in 2024 and this number is 59 teams more than the previous highest number of teams across the divisions.These numbers include an incredible 70 All Girls teams across the age groups.FFNC General Manager Steve Mackney believes this is "strong evidence of the positive influence that the Matildas have had on promoting female participation in football."FFNC has again ‘named’ the various Pools after current Matildas or Socceroos, as a gesture to acknowledge some of our national heroes.The Grade 6 competition has 103 teams, Grade 7 84 teams, Grade 8 57 teams, Grade 9 58 teams, Grade 10 60 teams and Grade 11 has 48 teams.A reasonable assessment has been made to consider geographical influences to choose club teams for respective pools. Mackney is looking ahead to a positive season, "The primary purpose of MiniRoos is participation and fun, so parents and coaches are urged to "let the kids play", without pressure to score goals, win games or to be superstar. The influence of adults upon children when talking about sport and the values that they demonstrate on match day (or at training) have an enormous impact on kids. Let’s make that influence a positive one!" Six Football far North Coast clubs will convene Gala Day's in 2024 and these days allow teams to play other teams that they may not encounter in their respective pools throughout the season.Mackney said "Let’s celebrate the watching our children and grandchildren kicking a ball and having fun with their friends. I wish everyone a terrific season being part of the Beautiful Game." 

The Marist Brothers Rams will host the Tweed Coast Raiders at Crozier Oval on Sunday.The Rams are coming off a tough 12-12 draw with Mullumbimby last weekend in wet and muddy conditions and will look to continue to improve against the Raiders outfit.The Tweed side went down 20-14 last weekend against the Casino Cougars, but coach Brent Kite will have them ready for a tight contest.It has been a disjointed start to the season with this weekend being Round 4, but Tweed having only played one match and the Rams just two, after matches have been postponed due to wet weather.The Rams will be looking for a win to push them up the NRRRL ladder early in the year.Marist Brothers players Shallin Fuller and Mitchell Krause have been in good form and will look to add to their try scoring tallies this weekend.The Ramettes have started the season with two strong wins and will look to continue their good form against Tweed, with both the U/18's and Reserve Grade teams splitting their two matches so far.The big day of rugby league starts with U/18's at 10:50am, Ladies League Tag at 12:10pm, Reserve Grade will kick off at 1:15pm and First Grade will start at 2:45pm.In other results for the Rams last weekend, the Ladies League Tag had an 18-0 victory, the U/18's went down 28-12 and Reserve Grade had a narrow 16-8 win over the Giants.

Albert Park has hosted the NSW Junior League State Championship this week, and the finals will be hotly contested.The State Championships is an annual representative event where the NSW Metropolitan and Country associations compete to secure the top two spots, paving their way to the National Championships and the illustrious Little League World Series.The State Championship Finals day will be played on Saturday at Albert Park, with the tournament finals beginning at 9 a.m.The Bronze Medal match will see Hills Red and Hills Blue playoff, Cronulla Blue will play the FNC side also at 11am in a Consolation Final.In the other consolation final, Hunter Coast will play Manly White at 11:30am.The Gold Medal match will be played between Sydney sides, Cronulla Black and Manly White.The National Championships will also be hosted at the Albert Park Baseball Complex, so mark your calendars next month for the Junior League (Under 15) and Intermediate League (Under 14) Nationals from May 27 to 31.The ability to host various championships are a great reward for an Association that has rebuilt significantly since the 2022 floods.

A local derby will highlight the opening round of Far North Coast Rugby Union on Saturday.Lismore will host the SCU Gold Rats at Lismore Rugby Park in what is a different look for the FNC First Grade Competition.A number of Presidents Cup clubs have returned to the top grade after a shakeup of the competition.The Gold Rats, Richmond Range, Lennox Head and Evans River have all stepped up to boost the local competition after a number of lean years for the division.SCU, Range and Lennox Head are all returning to the top grade after various lengths of time away.Lismore have named five debutants in their side to take on the Rats, with forwards Mitch Fawcett, Andrew Jordan and Max Smith, halfback Cooper Cox and winger Augustine Leju all starting in the top grade for the first time.The Greens will also have the experience of Tate Bailey, Ben Briggs and Angus MacDougall to lead the pack.The Gold Rats will field a new look side under new coach Beth Whaanga. There will be plenty of experience in the SCU side with Mitch Bird and Kirk Taylor-Brown up front, Matt Anderson at halfback and Josh Wilson captaining the side.Number 8 Xavier Teseni, and the centre pairing of Reshawn Brown and Murray Wade should provide plenty of entertainment.First Grade will kick off at 3:15pm with the Reserve Grade match between Lismore and Mullumbimby starting at 1:50pm.FIRST GRADE TEAM LISTSROUND ONE 27th APRIL 2024Coopers FAR NORTH COAST RUGBY UNIONBallina: 1. Stan Lolohea, 2. Nathan Groves, 3. Brett Johnston, 4. Esikia Macu, 5. Harry Bungate, 6. Gerald McLarnon, 7. Wilson Lovokuro, 8. Pierce Bryers, 9. Stephen Paskins, 10. Elliott Bryers (c), 11. Tupou Lolohea, 12. Anthony Lolohea, 13. Reuben Saric, 14. Nathaniel Hooper, 15. Jack KindredCoach: Michael Greenhalgh Manager: Josh MagnusVRichmond Range: 1. Reece Manning, 2. Blake Birmingham (c), 3. Duncan Ryan, 4. David Lane, 5. Jacob Lane, 6. Nicholas Furhmann, 7. Lachlan Thomas, 8. Hayden Pratt, 9. Alex Gibbon, 10. Matthew Sorrenti, 11. Brock King, 12. Bradon Gumbleton, 13. Paul Hewetson, 14. Joel Ryan, 15. James PankhurstCoach: Alex GibbonManager: Shawn ButlerReferee: Rob WalkerLismore: 1. Aggrey Leju, 2. Tate Bailey, 3. Mitchell Fawcett, 4. Ben Briggs, 5. Andrew Jordan, 6. Mitchell Cox, 7. Max Smith, 8. Angus MacDougall, 9. Cooper Cox, 10. Cody Johnston, 11. Brandan Hannigan, 12. Braeden Williams, 13. Adam Rodd, 14. Gus Leju, 15. Fraser RuaneCoach: Angus MacDougallManager: Stephen ClarkVSCU: 1. Mitch Bird, 2. Harry Rudder, 3. Kirk Taylor-Brown, 4. Josh Wilson (c), 5. Rogan Dickson, 6. Lachlan Wallace, 7. Lachlan Rogers, 8. Xavier Teseni, 9. Matt Anderson, 10. Tyrone Collison, 11. Jake Henry, 12. Reshawn Brown, 13. Murray Wade, 14. Cooper McDonald, 15. Darnell McLeodCoach: Beth WhaangaManager: Tim BreenReferee: Peter CampbellCasuarina Beach: 1. Daniel Tilton, 2. Jem MacDonald, 3. Daniel Chugg, 4. Dan Raye (c), 5. Mason Duke, 6. Michael Bodnar, 7. Zac Hanna, 8. Mitch Planten, 9. Webb Lillis, 10. Zane Hanna, 11. Jesse Frier, 12. Jesse Kemp, 13. Levi Dangerfield, 14. Tewhiti Treanor, 15. Sam VerenkiCoach: Geoff Townsend Manager: Stephen LowndesVWollongbar Alstonville: 1. Ewen McQueen, 2. Nick Pennisi, 3. Benji Tiatia, 4. Matt Scott, 5. Lloyd Morgan, 6. Josh Galbraith, 7. Joe Blyth, 8. Hamish Mould, 9. Louis Hollman, 10. Ben Damen (c), 11. Bodi Smith, 12. Daniel Damen, 13. Matt Nean, 14. Connor Storck, 15. Sam KerryCoach: William JohnstonManager: Chris DuleyReferee: Matt ClaytonLennox Head: 1. Joseph Daley, 2. Ethan Jenkins, 3. Connor Blair, 4. Zayden Allen, 5. Brandon Charlton, 6. Brad McGoulrick, 7. Harry Cunynghame, 8. Hayden Blair, 9. Atzin Jacobson, 10. Marty McNamara, 11. Zac Alexander, 12. Nick Wilson, 13. Aidan Butler, 14. Sean Parry, 15. Rory KershawCoach: Scott JenkinsManager: Tony FisherVEvans River: 1. Will Ainsworth, 2. Connor Thornley, 3. Matthew Francis, 4. Max Pye, 5. Tama Williamson, 6. Oliver Mason, 7. J F Beytell, 8. Agustin Aversa, 9. Ben Morris, 10. Sam Morley, 11. James Fairweather, 12. Adam Armistead (c), 13. Zane Gaiter, 14. Jonathon Robinson, 15. Michael MiskleCoach: Darren WinklerManager: Luke CleaverReferee: Will PalmerByron Shire Rebels: 1. Oisin Canney, 2. Ashton Sione, 3. Robert Taylor, 4. John Turagabeci, 5. Will Aisake, 6. Darcy Woods, 7. Angus Wilbourn, 8. Benji Clarke, 9. Jye Connochie, 10. Joel Little (c), 11. Darius Towers, 12. Oli Shakeshaft, 13 Joel Faulkner, 13. Aaron Borland, 15. Ben MitchellCoach: Ben MacDougall Manager: Eddy BrownVCasino: 1. Anthony Butta, 2. Robert MacKander, 3. Cameron Davis (c), 4. Cory Townesend, 5. Josh Fuller, 6. Connor Frame, 7. Hunter Ryan, 8. Harry Amey, 9. Ben Collison, 10. Jayden Torrens, 11. Jordan Robinson, 12. Bryce Spencer, 13. Joseph Brooks, 14. Harold Torrens, 15. Lenny DrugutanalevuCoach: Doug MurrayManager: Andrew GulliverReferee: Graham Cook  

Richmond Rovers goalkeeper, Daniel Hamshaw has starred in his sides Anzac Day Cup victory.The long limbs of Hamshaw were the difference between his side and Bangalow in the Tursa Employment & Training FFNC Men's Premier League Anzac Day Cup Final held in East Lismore on Thursday.The first half saw Bangalow have the better of territory, with several attacking opportunities shut down by a desperate and scrabbling Rovers defence and several good saves from Hamshaw.Rovers defender Shayne Smith scrambles in front of goal to deny Bangalow's attack. Photo: Matthew BarlowRovers best attacking chance in the first half came from a free kick that came within centimetres of sailing over the Bluedogs keeper.Bangalow striker Josh Cole hit the post with just 2 minutes left before the main break, to be denied possibly their best chance.Both sides went to the break scoreless.The second half was a similar story, with several attacking raids coming up short for both teams.The game was still tied at 0-0 at the end of normal time and the large crowd were set for an exciting finish.Richmond Rovers have won the Tursa Employment & Training FFNC Men's Premier League Anzac Day Cup. Phot: Steve MackneyExtra time could not separate the two sides and the match was to be decided by penalties.It was in the shootout that Hamshaw's reach and reaction proved to be the difference.The keeper, who has been a regular in the Championship Division in recent years, proved to be the difference, with several spectacular saves to give Rovers a 4-3 win.Fittingly, Hamshaw was presented with a deserved Player of the Final Award after the home sides warranted celebrations.Five more Finals will be played between Friday and Sunday to conclude the first set of 2024 trophies.

There has been recent success for several East Lismore bowlers.The 2023/24 Club Championship season has recently concluded at the East Lismore Bowling Club, with club legend Tony Cheli featuring as the big winner.Cheli played Brett Forrestor in the A Grade Singles Final. Both bowlers had been in fine form and their match up was eagerly anticipated by fellow club members. They certainly didn’t disappoint with Cheli securing a hard fought win 25 - 20. The lead seesawed throughout the encounter and Cheli’s experience shone through in the closing stages as he was able to keep Forrestor at arm's length to take out the final.Cheli also tasted success with Brian Lee in the A Grade Pairs Final, defeating Richard Nind and Greg Stewart 18 - 16. The match was played in tricky conditions and multiple scores were at a minimum throughout the 21 ends. Going down to the final ends it was still anyone's match to win and the crowd were engrossed in the tight tussle. Lee and Cheli remained composed and won an extraordinarily tight final end to triumph.Brett Forrestor appeared in three finals and after narrowly losing in the A Grade Singles went on to dominate the B Grade Singles Final defeating Andrew Maslen 25 - 8. Brett’s superior form certainly shone through as he controlled the match from beginning to end.Anne Kirk and Steve Clarke triumphed in the B Grade Pairs Final over Neville Clarke and Hugh Naisby 28 - 11. Kirk and Clarke were dominant in all of their preceding pairs match ups and were deserved winners in the final.Kirk and Clarke combined with Naisby to win the Club Triples Final 30 - 15 over Tiara McKenna, Brett Forrestor and Alex Baker.In the remaining championship final Rod Davison, Clint McKenna, Richard Nind and Nathan Scandrett defeated Andrew Carrall, Bob Adams, Anne Kirk and Steve Clarke in the Club Fours final.

The Football Far North Coast Anzac Day Cup and Callan McMillan Shield Finals matches will be fought out across the coming days.In Men's Premier League, Lismore's Richmond Rovers FC will host Bangalow FC at Bill Harris Field at 2:30pm on Thursday 25 April (Anzac Day).The two sides clashed on Saturday in Round 3 of the FFNC Men's Premier League, and in an entertaining encounter, Bangalow took the points 3-2.Rovers will be out for revenge and take the first major trophy of the 2024 season.A big Anzac Day crowd will be on hand after a morning of Two Up to cheer on the home side.The Women's Callan McMillan Shield Final will be played between Byron Bay FC and Lennox Head FC in Byron Bay on Sunday, also at 2:30pm.The Women's B Division Final will be hosted by Casino RSM Cobras FC, when they take on Thistles SC on Friday at 6:30pm.Thistles will be keen to add a trophy to their Military Road mantlepiece.In the Men's competition, the Open A Final will be a coastal affair between rivals Byron Bay FC and Suffolk Park FC at Byron Bay on Sunday at 12:30pm. The Men's B Final will be played between Tintenbar East Ballina FC and Dunoon United FC on Saturday at 2:30pm and the Men's Open C Division will see Pottsville FC host Richmond Rovers at 12:30pm on Saturday.The finals will be played with Extra time (being 20 minutes) if the score is level at the end of normal time and Penalty kicks will apply in Finals if the score is level at the end of extra-time.The winning squads will be presented with medals, a Player of the Final will be awarded in each match and each match official will also be presented for their efforts.

The wet weather has wreaked havoc with local sporting fixtures across the weekend.In the NRRRL, the Northern United and Cudgen Hornets matches were postponed, with Crozier Oval too wet to play.In the wet and muddy conditions, the Marist Brothers Rams were able to play the matches against Mullumbimby at Les Donnelly Field.The Ladies League Tag had an 18-0 victory, the U/18's went down 28-12 to a strong Giants outfit.The Reserve Grade had a narrow 16-8 win and in a dour struggle, nothing could separate the Giants and Rams in First Grade, resulting in a 12-12 draw.In Football Far North Coast matches, Sunday saw all grounds closed, however a number of matches did get played on Friday and Saturday.In Men's Premier League, Bangalow defeated Richmond Rovers 3-2 and Byron Bay hammered Ballina 10-0.South Lismore had a 2-1 win over Mullumbimby Brunswick Valley on Friday night.The Goonellabah Hornets and Maclean match started in terrible conditions at Weston Park and was abandoned at halftime after the Hornets led 1-0.The game will be rescheduled at a later date.In Women's Premier League, Byron defeated Ballina 5-1, with all other matches postponed.

Northern United will host the Cudgen Hornets at Crozier Oval on Sunday.Both sides went deep into the 2023 NRRRL Finals series and the clash will be a good gauge on how both teams sit early in the 2024 season.Northern United are coming off a solid 40-24 win over Kyogle in Round 2, with Round 1 washed out.The Hornets had a 38-12 win over the Lower Clarence Magpies.The Dirawongs solid forward pack, led by the try scoring machine Jirra Breckenridge, will look to pave the way for the slick backline, led by ex-NRL star Tyrone Roberts in the halves and fullback and 2023 NRRRL Player of the Year Hezekiah McKenzie.Roberts had an impressive debut for United and his leadership and experience will play an important part of the Dirawongs road to the finals.The U/18 will start the day at 12:00pm, Reserve Grade at 1:15pm and First Grade will kick off at 2:45pm.In other local matches, Marist Brothers will travel to Les Donnelly Field in Mullumbimby to take on the Giants in Round 3.

Richmond Rovers and the Goonellabah Hornets will host vital matches in Round 3 of the FFNC Men's Premier League Competition.Rovers will host Bangalow in a tough encounter in East Lismore on Saturday, kicking off at 3:00pm.The home side are coming off a 1-0 victory over Byron Bay in Round 2, in what was an impressive start to the season.Bangalow had a 2-2 draw with the Goonellabah Hornets in Round 2, with all sides still finding their combination after Round 1 was a complete washout for all teams.The Hornets will host Maclean at Weston Park, also on Saturday at 3:00pm.The Hornets take on the Bobcats who will be looking to bounce back after a 2-1 loss to Mullumbimby Brunswick Valley last weekend.On Sunday, Alstonville travel to Lennox Head, in what should be another interesting encounter.Villa smashed Ballina 10-1 last week and it will a good test for both sides after Lennox defeated South Lismore 2-1.Another full round of matches will begin to sort the ladder early in the Premier League season.In Women's Premier League on Sunday, Bangalow host Alstonville at 12:30pm and Rovers will host the strong Lennox Head at 2:30pm.Rovers had a 3-0 win last week against Ballina and Lennox had a comfortable 5-0 win over Bangalow.

The NRRRL finally kicked off in Round 2 and Lismore teams had mixed results.Marist Brothers hosted the Ballina Seagulls in four grades at Crozier Oval and the Rams took it to their western counterparts.The match didn't start well for the Rams, conceding 2 tries in the first 7 minutes to trail 10-0 early.The Rams hit back straight way with a try to Ryan Everson, to steady the scoreboard.The Seagulls crossed again before Mitchell Krause scored to make it a close 14-12 lead to the visitors.A penalty goal and try to Ballina blew the score out to 22-12 before Krause crossed for his second on full-time to see the Rams go down but just 4 points, 22-18.In Reserve Grade, the Seagulls took the points with a 28-14 victory, the Rams took U/18's 36-18 in a brilliant return to the grade after a number of years without the younger side.The Ladies League Tag also started the season with a 16-4 win.Northern United Dirawongs were impressive in their match against the improved Kyogle Turkeys.Northern United took the match 40-24, scoring 7 tries to 5 after several strong performances.The debut of ex-NRL star Tyrone Roberts, was impressive, scoring 2 tries and setting up several others.Prop Jirra Breckenridge also crossed for a double.The Dirawongs took out Reserve Grade 62-10, went down in U/18's 26-14 and in the Women's Tackle match against Casino, had an impressive 52-4 win.In other matches Cudgen defeated Lower Clarence 38-12, Evans Head took down the Bilambil Jets 22-12, Murwillumbah went down to Byron 24-14 and in an entertaining match, Casino and Mullumbimby couldn't be separated at 30-30.

Lismore's Malachi Canning has won multiple medals at the National Athletics Championships in Adelaide.Canning is a member of Lismore Athletics and competed throughout his junior years for Lismore Little Athletics.Competing in 7 individual parathlete events, Malachi set a number of Personal Bests (PB's) throughout the week in the U/20's division.On the track, Canning ran PB's in the 100m (13.17s), the 200m (27.17s) and the 400m (1:06:29s) but it was in his favoured Field events that he starred.Malachi's first jump in the Long Jump was a huge 5.10m, securing 2nd place in the event.He then moved on to his pet events, the throws, again throwing 3 PB's.In the Shot Put, each put was over 9m, eventually finishing with a best throw of 9.98m and taking Gold.In similar circumstances, Canning dominated the Discus, with each throw being over 30m, with the Gold Medal throw landing at 32.45m.In the Javelin, another PB and Gold, with a throw of 32.65m, but even Malachi's shortest throw of 28.51m would have still secured the win.Canning continues to stock the trophy cabinet after an impressive junior career at both State, National and International level.

Marist Brothers will host the Ballina Seagulls in Round 2 of the NRRRL after Round 1 was postponed due to wet weather last weekend.Marist Brothers were due to clash with Northern United last week in what would have been a great start to the NRRRL season for both local sides but the wet weather throughout the week unfortunately put paid to those plans.Brothers will look to continue their good form late in the 2023 season against arch rivals Ballina.The two sides have a healthy rivalry that goes back several decades and a big crowd is expected on the clubs Sponsors Day.Brothers have had several injury concerns after pre-season trials and will be looking for aggression from their forward back to pave the way for the talented backline.Leading tryscorer Mitchell Krause will look to continue his 2023 form off the back of a platform set by the mobile forward pack.Ladies League Tag will start the day at 10:50am, a welcome return to the U/18’s who will return after several years at 12pm, Reserve Grade is at 1:15pm and First Grade is set to kick off at 2:45pm at Crozier Field.In other matches, Northern United will travel to Kyogle to take on the Turkeys, the Casino RSM Cougars will host Mullumbimby, the local derby will be interesting between the new Tweed Heads Seagulls and Tweed Coast Raiders and in possibly the match of the round, Bilambil Jets will host the Evans Head Bombers.

After a delay of a week, ironically, due to wet weather, the FFNC competitions started this week and several clubhouses were reopened after vast renovations.The renovations were due to the devastating floods that hit the North Coast in 2022.The Lismore Workers Soccer Club is one of the clubs to return to their home ground this week.Club President Nadine Toniello was thrilled to be able to welcome people back to Richards Oval, after the completion of works to create new facilities, two years after floodwater that went above the roof of the clubhouse and destroyed everything, including memorabilia. The “Redmen” now begin the path back to its former greatness as a powerhouse club in Football Far North Coast. The club thanked it's many stakeholders, particularly Lismore City Council staff and Councillors and the wonderful Lismore and broader football community who have generously and stoically stood united through and beyond the tough times over the past two years The Casino RSM Cobras FC were also the recipients of clubhouse upgrades, with the new opening this weekend.The new facilities at Colley Park Casino includes four change rooms, a match officials room with air-conditioning, canteen and storage. Rob Mustow (Mayor of Richmond Valley Council), Vaughan McDonald (GM Richmond Valley Council) and Club President Shane Hogan, joined FFNC General Manager Steve Mackney to officially open the facilities, with three senior matches on Saturday at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. 

Lismore race car diver David Russell has made a big announcement.Russell, currently drives in the national Porsche Carrera Cup competition and is a co-driver for the Supercars endurance races.It is the Supercars category that Russell has announced the big news.It was announced late this week that Russell will join the PremiAir Racing team for the 2024 Supercars endurance races.Russell, who raced with Brodie Kostecki and Erebus Motorsport in 2021, 2022 and 2023, will line up alongside James Golding in the number 31 Chevrolet.The combination will race in the two endurance events, the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000.The Russell and Kostecki combination saw plenty of success in previous endurance races, with second placings in both the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000 in 2023 and a third at Bathurst in 2021.The announcement is a change to previous pairing announcements, as all expected Russell to continue the combination with Kostecki for the 2024 co-driver season.Recent controversy with the Erebus team and the future of Kostecki, who missed the first two rounds of the season, has been well publicised.Russell will continue his Carrera Cup drives and will also add several support categories throughout the season, including a solid outing at the Bathurst 12Hr in the GT category in February.Of 24 full-time Supercars entries, 13 co-driver pairings have been announced, with Golding/Russell combination the 10th pairing to be locked in.The Penrite Oil Sandown 500 will open the 2024 enduro season on September 13-15, before the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 10-13.

Wet weather has postponed what was to be an enticing clash between the Marist Brothers Rams and Northern United to kick off the 2024 NRRRL Season.The opening round has been postponed due to the deluge that hit the Far North Coast throughout the week, but the local clash was going to be a highlight of the round.Northern United come off an impressive 2023 season, finishing one game out of the Grand Final.The club has potentially signed two of the biggest names in NRRRL history, with Tyrone Roberts taking the field this year for the club and will give the side direction from the halves on the field, and also add plenty of direction off the field as well.Roberts comes to the club after a strong season with the Burleigh Bears in the Q Cup.He played 158 NRL games for the Newcastle Knights, Gold Coast Titans and the Brisbane Broncos, 33 matches in the English Super League with the Warrington Wolves, 2 matches for NSW Country and 4 games for the Indigenous All Stars.The second signing is yet to be confirmed, but strong rumours related to James Roberts signing with the team.James Roberts has 168 NRL matches under his belt, with 5 separate clubs. He scored 78 tries for South Sydney, Penrith, Gold Coast Titans, Brisbane Broncos and the Wests Tigers.James has 3 State of Origin matches for New South Wales in 2018, 3 Indigenous All Star games and a single City Origin match in 2015.Known for his electric speed, he will be a huge asset to the already handy Drawings backline.Dirawongs fullback, Hezekiah McKenzie also took out the NRRRL Player of the Year Award and is looking to back up this form again in 2024.Marist Brothers have had an impressive preseason and will field an Under 18's side for the first time since pre-Covid times.The club has worked hard on building s strong club culture across both senior and junior clubs, with 3 club days scheduled for the 2024 season.Training numbers have been strong and the Rams will be looking to build on a strong finish to the 2023 season, narrowly missing finals football.Mitchell Krause will again be one to watch, topping try scoring charts last year and will look to continue this form.

The Football Far North Coast Anzac Day Cup and Callan McMillan Shield Finals matches and schedule is complete.All preliminary rounds have been completed and the teams now wait in anticipation of the first silverware of the season.In Men's Premier League, Lismore's Richmond Rovers FC will host Bangalow FC at Bill Harris Field at 2:30pm on Thursday 25 April (Anzac Day).The Women's Callan McMillan Shield Final will be played between Byron Bay FC and Lennox Head FC in Byron Bay on Sunday 28 April, also at 2:30pm.The B Division Final will be hosted by Casino RSM Cobras FC, when they take on Thistles SC on Friday 26 April at 6:30pm.In the Men's competition, the Open A Final will be a local affair between Byron Bay FC and Suffolk Park FC at Byron Bay on Sunday 28 April at 12:30pm. The Men's B Final will be played between Tintenbar East Ballina FC and Dunoon United FC on Saturday 27 April at 2:30pm and the Men's Open C Division will see Pottsville FC host Richmond Rovers at 12:30pm on Saturday as well.The finals will be played with Extra time (being 20 minutes) if the score is level at the end of normal time and Penalty kicks will apply in Finals if the score is level at the end of extra-time.The winning squads will be presented with medals, a Player of the Final will be awarded in each match and each match official will also be presented for their efforts.FFNC will re-schedule any fixture (if necessary) and if required, at a time and venue determined by FFNC, if there is any legitimate reason that a fixture is unable to proceed as initially scheduled, with a decision to ‘declare’ a result (for reasons such as ongoing adverse weather), being a last option for consideration. If a the result of a FINAL is ultimately declared, FFNC will award ‘joint winners’ for such competitions.

The Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League (NRRRL) 2024 season his about to kick off, and the first round will start with intrigue.The competition sees the return of the Tweed Seagulls into the NRRRL competition, which will take out last seasons bye and add a 14th team.The Seagulls will start with an away game in Mullumbimby on Sunday 7 April.The local Lismore derby will be the first matches of the season for both Marist Brothers and Northern United.Both teams have worked hard in the off season with plenty of effort on the training paddock as well as several trial games in preparation for the start of the season.The Dirawongs pushed well into the finals race last season, after their most competitive season for some time, with the Rams looking to improve on their 2023 year.Both teams have recruited well in the off-season, with Northern United securing one of the most impressive signings of recent times.Tyrone Roberts will play for the club and brings with him a wealth of experience and leadership.Roberts has played for a number of years with the NRL, Super League, NSWRL as well as Queensland Cup. He has also played in the representative scene with NSW Country as well as the NRL Indigenous All Stars.He comes to the club after a stint with the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup.Murwillumbah will host Cudgen in the first game of Round 1 on Saturday 6 April.Other matches to kick off Round 1 include Tweed Coast hosting Bilambil in another local derby, Casino travel to Ballina to take on the Seagulls, Lower Clarence will host Kyogle in Maclean and Evans Head and Byron Bay will be an entertaining match in Evans Head.The Marist Brothers Rams have planned three Club Rounds in Round 6, 11 and 13, that will see both junior and senior team compete throughout the day in a festival of football.The club will play these matches on a Saturday, a slight change for the senior teams.

News this week that top Football Far North Coast referee Luka Taylor will soon leave the region, is another body blow to efforts to retain enough match officials to respond to the extraordinary growth in player numbers. As player registrations surge past 7000 (since they opened on the first of February) and with competition teams at record levels, the perennial issue of not having enough referees, continues to impede the full potential of the game. The pending departure of Luka Taylor, while a bitter pill to swallow for the code, is a story that confirms the positive influence that becoming a referee can have on individuals, if they stay the course. Although football was a passion, Luka did not start playing until age 15. This also coincided with him doing his Level 4 referee course and Luka quickly realised that officiating would enable him to progress further in the game. Being a quiet, even shy person, the decision that Luka made to become a referee, was not an immediately obvious one, but would prove to demonstrate his outstanding skills and depth of character.Luka was born in Newcastle and arrived in this region as a four-year-old when his parents Brian and Julie relocated here in 2001. With Brian being a qualified mechanical engineer and Julie being a chemical engineer, it should not surprise that Luka was a very good student, with mathematics being his best subject, however he transitioned from high school at St John’s College Woodlawn, to TAFE at age 16, where he successfully completed a Certificate 4 in IT Networking. An unexpected job opportunity arose, when Luka lodged an application with Rous Water in 2019, with Luke primarily thinking that the interview would give him valuable experience, but he was offered a position as an IT Support Officer. His career with Rous has flourished since that time and his departure is also a loss for that organisation.Like many top match officials, Luka was quickly identified as a person who has what it takes to be a very good referee. He is an excellent listener, diligent, respectful and with a capacity to make sound decisions under pressure. When asked about the positive side of being a match official, Luka describes the many skills that he has learned, or evolved, saying, ‘I believe that my time as a match official has helped my personal growth and there are synergies with progressing my professional career as well.’ He further says, ‘Skills learned while officiating such as people management, how to communicate effectively, understanding the importance of teamwork and decision making, are each relevant to my work life. Always having been a shy person, I am now more confident as a consequence of being a referee”When asked about the advice he would give to inspire young match officials, Luka says, ‘Work hard, be prepared to listen and learn, be prepared to make decisions, even when it may be tough to do so and always clamp down on inappropriate behaviour. The most important message I offer, is to be a leader and a role model’ ‘I also urge players, including former players, to step up and become a referee. While not every player makes a good referee, it can help and officiating provides a great opportunity to stay involved in the game’. It is no wonder that Luka Taylor has progressed from being a rookie referee and will soon leave this region as one the best match officials who has ever been part of the Football Far North Coast family. His father Brian, who was encouraged by Luka to start officiating in recent years, will continue his involvement, so the Taylor family will continue to be represented in the local referee ranks.While Luka will soon follow a path that many people from regional Australia do every year and search for a brave new world and the bright lights of a big city, he will go with the thanks and best wishes of the FFNC football community, as we wish him every success. A new job in IT is planned in Melbourne, where Luka has many friends. He has been thinking about this move for a while, as he likes the ’vibe’ of Melbourne. In regards to football, our loss could be Victoria’s gain, as Luka intends to continue his involvement as a football match official. The shortage of referees there and more specifically, the absence of enough high-quality referees, will no doubt see Luka welcomed with ‘open arms’. Football Far North Coast hopes that Luka might return to this region at some point, but if not, he leaves a legacy that will hopefully inspire the next generation of match officials.