How will Ballina fare at state level? | Northern Rivers Bowls | Lawn Bowls in Northern Rivers

THE superiority of Ballina since its recruitment drive netted seven of the North Coast's top bowlers and its first NRDBA No 1 pennant in 25 years, has sparked keen interest in how the side will perform at State level.

Ballina added to its No 1 flag in the Zone One finals when it beat Condong 68-54.

But the State finals will be a different roll of the bowl. There the much-vaunted side will face its sternest test.

Ballina's strength was emphasised in this year's district championships where its players won or were runners-up in every category.

The district singles went to Mick Anderson with his whiz-kid clubmate Aaron Teys runner-up. Anderson won the pairs, skipping Troy Makin. Runners-up were clubmates Neil Burgess and Richard Latta.

The triples went to Ballina's Neil Burgess, David Zorzo and Richard Latta.

David Ball's Casino RSM team in the fours broke the winning monopoly but they had to beat Ballina's Reece Wilson, Craig Teys, Tony Scott and Alf Boston in the final to do it. Even in the seniors, Ballina was riding high. Neville Dunne won the singles; Roly Tepper and Viv Ross took the pairs.

And in the district/zone junior championships, Aaron Teys landed the singles, partnered Reece Wilson to a win in the pairs, and skipped the fours team that included Wilson and Lismore City's Beddoes and Gannon.

CLARENCE River was bridesmaid - the runner-up in six of the seven grades - when the rain-affected Zone One pennant finals were completed on Saturday.

In the uncompleted rounds at South Lismore, Iluka went down to Condong in No 5s, while Brooms Head lost to Cudgen Leagues in No 6s.

The most successful district overall was Northern Rivers with four zone pennants (East Lismore two. Ballina, Alstonville).

Tweed-Byron had three (Murwillumbah, Condong, Cudgen Leagues), Clarence River none.

Yamba was runner-up in three grades; Grafton, Iluka and Brooms Head one each.

The only Tweed-Byron runner-up was Condong after losing the No 1 final to Ballina. The grade winners will now go on to the State pennant finals.

THE strong Northern Rivers East section took out the interdistrict Johnston-Dignan Shield at Brunswick Heads on Sunday from NRDBA's inland West.

East finished undefeated with six points plus 39 shots; West lost by six shots in the match against East to complete the three rounds with four points plus 20.

Clarence River won one game (two points minus 14). Tweed-Byron, playing on its own greens, had a miserable result - no wins, no points minus 45 shots.

I HAVEN'T exactly been a shrinking violet in my criticism of the amount of non-bowls content in the magazine that all NSW bowlers are forced to buy.

My View- it might be only one of many similar views - has stung Royal president John Archer into a reply.

In the current magazine, he excuses the recent full-cover pic of the new-born baby of the Royal's CEO by saying it personified the 'younger image' of bowls.

A pic of the office manager's wedding was 'putting a human face' on people in administration.

And his own ever-smiling pic? He doesn't mention it, even though it appears in the magazine with film star frequency.

If a baby front cover is the 'younger image' and a wedding pic is the 'human face', I wonder what value the game gets out of the president's face appearing so many times.

And those pages upon pages of what they call Lifestyle Options - he says they've proved 'immensely popular'. Has he ever asked bowlers whether they want one-sixth of their bowls magazine turned over to paid advertorial that plugs beauty products and the like?

Because bowlers have no choice but to buy this magazine - the price is taken out of their capitation fees - they are a captive audience who can be dished up anything without any worry about relevant content.

The Royal skites about the magazine's circulation. But the figures would nosedive if bowlers were given a say in whether or not to buy it - as Queenslanders are with their excellent full-of-bowls news State magazine.

Makes you wonder why NSW bowlers continue to accept being forced to buy a magazine that falls down in comparison with the non-compulsory northern publication.

July 5: Casino RSM's Hollywood/Ellis Day. July 10-12: Evans Head's three-day carnival (men's triples, mixed fours, men's triples). July 18-19: Bonalbo's two-day carnival (mixed fours, men's triples) - phone 66 651 208.