Boys

Cronulla A - First – State Champions

Girls

Cronulla A - Fourth

Cronulla B - Unplaced

Under 14C Girls Team

Report on 2009 NSW State Championships

The Team

 Erica Davison  Anna Gibson  Elise Gaskell  Zoe Carr Mikaela Gatherer  Tess Jones  Callie Mealing Caitlyn Roye  Madalene Simpson  Emily Colquhoun Brittany Wymer  Charlotte Cottle

The Draw and Results

The Cronulla C team plays in the B competition on Sundays, we have been pretty successful and this is a chance to measure ourselves against the A comp. Our hopes were to play well, learn from the better teams, to be a serious player at the A comp level.

Friday

I won’t single out individual players for any great mentions here, only saying, we have a team. A good team, a really good team, despite the fact I don’t like any of them. It doesn’t matter who is or isn’t available to play, when we are missing any of our players, no-one would know because EVERYONE steps up and over the course of this weekend we did that again. Let’s start at the top,

Breakers A,

 ……….a great chance to test ourselves. A little imposed early at the physicality but learned what was needed, stood up and really gave as good as we got. At 9-1 sounds horrendous, but for the eventual winners of the tournament, I was thrilled with the fight of the group. A good start.

Central Coast 4-5

An unknown quantity, our most disappointing result, but only as 2 things didn’t go our way, we must have hit the frame at least 10 times……I wont mention the second reason although a rule book and glasses may trend you in the right direction. Still the girls did a pretty good job.

Friday night 4 of the 5 teams dined at Che Trackside

A fine dining experience, quite possibly the best Gosford West has to offer……or at least, who would accept a hundred plus, noisy and excited Nulla Water Polo people. The pre carnival function held on a Sunday arvo at Como was great for helping some of the families from different teams to meet other tourists and the ice was broken for a night like this. The idea of this pre tournament meeting is well worth continuing.

The meals were very pleasing on all reports and we had a few words of thanks and a lovely musical presentation from our Stunners in the A team. As they say in the Parish newspaper “a good time was had by all”.

Saturday

Alstonville

A personal goal for Big Pook. I don’t think I had ever coached a team to success against this fine Water Polo club……

till this morning……7-4 to the good guys., thanks girls. The girls did a fine job and put this capable team to the sword.

Sydney Uni

A team from our comp with a couple of Draftees from UTS 16s, strengthened them nicely. At 5-2 the closest Uni has got to us all year and we need to lift our game further, if the drafted players decide to stay there and play the rest of the season.

Balmain

Again a B comp team but with a couple or girls we hadn’t seen before. Presented a much tougher test and the new goalie deserved real praise for them. A good result at 7-3 and It was great to see both these teams lifting from where they had been earlier and I know we look forward to our next encounters. Plans were for Lil Pook and I to travel to Ryde for M2s so a great new coaching talent was unveiled here, good job and thanks Bubbles.

Sunday

Bye………We really smashed that bye

Cronulla A

To be fair, as soon as the draw was released we warned the A team we were coming after them.

The game began with a gesture of club solidarity. The first swim-up not being a contest for the ball. Under the suggestion of Mark and Sandra Holden all players swam up slowly and met at half pool, fronting one of their clubmates. Together all jumped out of the water and delivered a high ten to each other, shouting Go Nulla. Brought the entire crowd to applause and the A’s graciously offered us first possession. Can’t say too much about this game except just before half time as the scoreboard read 4-4 I attempted to have the table “ring the bell” and the photo of the moment “is going straight to the website”.  The crowd were incredibly supportive of the C’s but class told out eventually and our defeat 5-10 was a truly superb effort but when the A’s really put the foot on the accelerator we learned more about where we need to get to for next year’s challenges. Everyone playing goalie did a great job as usual as we shared the burden. For a bunch of HOPELESS JOKES they did alright However they spent far too much time enjoying themselves for my liking and there was far too much fun.

Our team thanks must go to:

The Other Cronulla Teams and families for their support and camaraderie throughout the weekend

Lil Pook for reffing for us throughout the tournament

Barton Cottle (Mr Chugga) for taking care of the table all weekend

Bubbles for coaching the Balmain game.

The C parents who have always been incredibly supportive of their kids and the team as a group.

She thought she was gunna get away with it but:

“Hopalong” Caz Colquhoun for dancing the night away and hobbling the days on those Gosford RSL Karaoke crutches.

My thanks to Madam Manager for her organization and controlling the subs so everyone gets wet.

Congrats to all players on state selections and from our group

Caitlyn, Anna and Elise on selection in development squad

Cheers

Pook