Jackaroo Jesse Noronha turned a tournament debut with his brother Ash and father-in-law Shane Grenfell into victory in the Gorilla Quickfire Triples at Warilla.
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Noronha will be the travelling reserve for the Australian Men's team at next month's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and before that honour was rapt to join his brother and father-in-law in an event at his junior club Warilla.
The two-day Quickfire Triples featured 22 teams split into two sections, with each team playing eight games of just four ends and the top two sides in each section qualifying for the semi-finals.
The Noronha family beat Don McLeod, Paul Collins and Neill McCall in the four-end final to collect the $1200 winner's prize, with the runners-up sharing $900.
Noronha finished second in his section with 5.5 wins and a +8 margin behind McCall, who had 6.5 wins and a +21 differential.
Both finalists began with a loss and while drawn together they did not face off.
''We did enough to get into the semi-finals and picked things up from there,'' Noronha said.
''With only four-end games there's no room for having a bad end or two. Whatever the result you had to move on to the next game pretty quick.''
Following a one-shot loss in their first game McCall and partners were in good touch and had six wins and a draw to head into the semis with momentum.
McCall's rink had a 9-0 semi-final win over Todd James (skip), Paul Majkowycz and Jim McKenzie, who finished runners-up in their section with five wins (+13).
Read more: The day 'hard-working' Kembla Grange trainer Elsie Green defied the odds at Rosehill
Wayne Crouch (skip), Di Mackay and Scott McQuilty (six wins, +26) won the section, though heading into the last sectional game six of the 10 teams were in contention to make the semis. Noronha and partners ended the run of Wayne Crouch's rink with a 6-1 win to advance to the final. Both semi-finalists collected $450 from a total prize pool of $3000.
Warilla will run another one-day Quickfire Triples on July 30, with Jeremy Henry the contact for entries and enquiries.
The Two-Bowl Triples event gives all teams a winning chance with each rink required to have a combined Pennant grading of at least 10 points, while the rapid-fire four-end format means matches are won and lost quickly.
The new champs had a combined 11 Pennant points with Cabramatta Grade 1 star Jesse Noronha allotted one point, plus his Towradgi-based brother (three points) and lead Shane Grenfell, who plays for Fairy Meadow, seven points.
Meanwhile, Jesse Noronha is looking forward to his role as the men's reserve for the Jackeroos at the Commonwealth Games.
Noronha will come into the team if illness or an issue such as COVID were to strike the selected team of Corey Wedlock, Barrie Lester, Carl Healey, Ben Twist and Aaron Wilson.
Champion singles title battle
Several Illawarra club singles winners are chasing a state title at the 2021 NSW Women's Champion of Club Champion Singles title at Port Macquarie.
The four-day championship will be hosted by Port City BC and neighbouring Lake Cathie BC and begins on Sunday.
Seventy-four NSW club singles champions are in the draw including district representatives, plus state and Australian stars, as well as top-class local players. Jackaroos squad member and Fairy Meadow junior Dawn Hayman (St Johns Park) has been drawn who Section 3 at Port City against Ramsgate RSL's Sally Johnson.
Warilla's 2021 club singles champion Pam Willetts is no stranger to playing in big events and has been drawn in Section 18 and takes on Kayla Courtin (Padstow) in round one.
Australian bowls legend Karen Murphy (Cabramatta) will be the player to beat in Section 20 at Lake Cathie BC and faces Rosemary Elliott (Munmorah United) in round one.
Thirroul's Vicki Attenborough is in Section 8 at Port Macquarie City, while Gerringong's Michelle Smith (Section 22) and Australian rep Sarah Boddington (Tuncurry Beach, Section 25) are also in the field. Following sectional play there are five knockout rounds, with the final next Wednesday.
Murphy Hall of Fame honour
South Coast bowls legend Karen Murphy has garnered another major honour in her amazing career after being inducted into the Commonwealth Games NSW Hall of Fame.
Arguably Australia's greatest female player, the Shoalhaven Heads junior has won four Commonwealth Games medals, including gold, plus eight World Outdoor Championship medals and countless state and national titles in a near 30-year professional career. Murphy will next month lend her considerable Commonwealth Games experience as the assistant coach of the Australian team.
Before heading to England, Murphy was honoured at the recent Commonwealth Games NSW Hall of Fame night as a new inductee along with Bradley McGee OAM (cycling), Jane Saville (race walking) and Patrick Murray (shooting).
Murphy dedicated her latest honour to her mother, who was by her side on the night and to her late father, acknowledging the enormously positive influence they have had, and continue to have, on her life.
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