After winning the Zone 16 rookie singles title, Albion Park’s Darren Coombes will team up with last year’s winner Vinh Ong in the club’s major-minor pairs on Sunday week.
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Coombes was yet to play a competitive singles tournament, when asked if he would be interested in playing at Easts Berkeley last weekend.
It turned out to be the best decision he’s made in the two years since taking up the sport.
Coombes won his section against Corrimal’s Tim Cavanough and Dapto Citizens’ John Wilson.
He then advanced to the semi-finals by beating Berkeley’s Bernard Kelly 17-8.
Returning on Sunday, Coombes came from behind against Berry’s David Lambert to win 17-15, qualifying for the final.
With the winner taking the Zone 16 representative place at the NSW finals in October, Coombes took on former Albion Park clubmate Darren Morton, now playing for Oak Flats.
“Darren and I had played together in the final of the (Albion Park) club fours,” Coombes said.
“So whoever won, we agreed we’d be having a beer together afterwards.
“It was pretty tight early, I was lucky enough to come away with it at the end.
“I’d never played anything in that format before, though I’d played some (Grade Four) pennants fours for the club this year.”
An electrician at the Port Kembla steelworks, Coombes took out the decider 17-6. So the club major-minor pairs acts as part victory lap, part passing of the baton from Ong, as last year’s champion, to Coombes.
Remrkably, Coombes and Ong are only paired after being drawn out of a hat, this year’s winner still qualified in the minor section.
“I spoke to him before the tournament, he just offered a few words of encouragement,” Coombes said.
- HONOUR ROLL
Zone 16 rookie singles winners
2009: T Christie (Fairy Meadow)
2010: D Clough (Towradgi Park)
2011: P Cable (Windang)
2012: L Smith (Oak Flats)
2013: J Bonham (Dapto)
2014: J Bonham (Dapto)
2015: D Harrison (Berkeley)
2016: V Ong (Albion Park)
Junior seven-a-side tournament
Zone 16 will be aiming for gold at the NSW inter-zone junior seven-a-side tournament at Dubbo this weekend.
The under 18 championships includes a singles, pairs and fours format, with a pointscore determining the winning zone.
The winning zone from each competition will be awarded 20 points, with the 16th placed zone earning one point.
The pairs tournament is best of 18 ends, the fours over 15 ends and the singles first 25 shots.
The top three teams will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals.
ZONE 16
August 19-20: Albion Park Classic Triples
August 19-20: NSW junior inter-zone seven-a-side tournament at Dubbo.
August 27: Dapto Citizens father and son tournament.
August 28: Shoalhaven Heads Jerry Bailey Men’s Triples, Wiseman Park Wollongong City Over 50s Pairs.
September 2: Kiama Rotating triples
September 4: Oak Flats men’s over 50 pairs.
