Nepeannews 17august2017

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Thursday, 17 August 2017

ISSUE 207

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Sleeping rough Mayor of Penrith, John Thain joined community leaders , local families, residents, agencies, community organisations and businessmen and women to show his support of Homelessness Week at SLEEP IN YOUR CAR at St Marys Railway Station. The event was organized by Fusion Western Sydney and Platform Youth Services. More on page 7

localnews Services Worship and Communion Sunday 9:30am Wednesday Fellowship Wednesday 7:30pm Healing / Revival First Friday of Month 7:30pm

By Conner Lowe

The Wallabies Rugby team are training in Penrith ahead of their Bledisloe Cup opener with New Zealand, this Saturday at ANZ

Stadium.

The Wallabies have three matches against the All Blacks in the coming weeks; first in Sydney followed by the last two in Dunedin and Brisbane.

It’s been 14 years since the Wallabies have held the Bledisloe Cup, a long and painful losing streak that the Australian team will be hoping to end starting with a win at ANZ Stadium.

Michael Hooper, the newly appointed Wallabies captain spoke about the great facilities Penrith have to offer and how he is feeling ahead of his first match as the Wallabies captain.

“I think that the facilities are fantastic out here so we have been able to stay and walk to our grounds and really have that focus on footy and connect with the people out here,” he said.

“We’re starting to put in the final preparations for the weekend and done all the hard work, with all the preseason preparation now we are just excited about the game, we need to put an opposition in front of us to see how we are really tracking, so Saturday couldn’t come quickly enough.”

The Wallabies are hoping that weeks of preparation on and off the field will get them across the line against the All Blacks. The All Blacks are the best Rugby team currently in the world and Australia will be hoping to prove that

Contact: (02) 9673 1009

www.newhorizonschurch.org.au

Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

Wallabies training in Penrith

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they are a team to fear throughout the series.

Michael spoke about how spending a couple of weeks with the team has really benefited connecting off the field and the result will rely on their performance on Saturday.

“I think the result at the end of the day relies on us, how we track, how much we believe in our system and right now it’s been building really strongly,” he said.

“For the last couple of weeks one of the benefits of not being in the finals I guess was we were able to get together early and bond away from footy and do the hard work so far out from the games, now we are finally here it’s time to just really focus on what we are here to do.”

The Wallabies will hope to give Michael Hooper a winning start as their new captain and to help lift the Bledisloe Cup again after over a decade of consecutive loses to the All Blacks.

Giving Hope Today Sunday Worship 10:00 AM Boy’s and Girl’s SAGALA (Similar to Scouts) 6:00 PM Monday Women’s Meeting 10:30 AM Thursday Street Dreams (Dance Group) 4:00 PM Thursday Kid’s Club 4:00 PM Friday (Dedications, Wedding or Funerals by appointment) 48 Luttrell St Glenmore Park P: 02 47331133 W: www.salvos.org.au/penrith E: salvospenrith@gmail.com

Prue Car MP Member for Londonderry

Ph: 9833 1122 154 Queen Street, St Marys londonderry@parliament.nsw.gov.au

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by Kerrie Davies AS a nation we collectively do a lot of moaning and groaning about our health system.

Thankfully, I’ve been lucky enough to not need much healthcare during my life, but I’ve recently been exposed to many facets of it due to my mother’s illness.

Many readers would be aware that a mass was found in my mother’s lung some months ago, and the journey from a cancerous diagnosis to the cancer-free tag she now proudly wears, has been a challenging one.

First it was a major operation to remove the mass and half her lung.

All covered by medicare by the fabulous surgeon, Dr Flynn at Nepean Hopital.

Complications followed when Mum developed pneumonia and spent a month in the intensive care unit, but she was cared for by the most patient and caring nurses and doctors - and the cost again was covered by medicare.

Finally she was discharged on home oxygen - a cost borne by the government. Her recovery hasn’t been much fun for her - an operation of that magnitude at 75 years of age is quite an ordeal. We’ve had doctors doing home visits on a regular basis - all covered by medicare.

And now that she is finally starting to get better and is cancer free, we are told by a visiting healthcare representative that the resources now available include home help, welfare checks, in-home physio, people who will take her shopping, help her shower, prepare meals and the list goes on.

If you got an illness like this in the majority of countries in the world, the truth is you’d be left for dead.

Australia really is the lucky country. We should really try to limit our moaning to the things that really are bad, and take some time to appreciate and salute the things that are really very very good!

Your thoughts? kerrie@nepeannews.com.au

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Beauty under the stars Ballet returns! The beauty, athleticism and artistry of ballet will be showcased at the Ballet Under The Stars performance in Penrith on Saturday 4 November.

The Australian Ballet’s lavish production of The Sleeping Beauty is the feature of this year’s free outdoor event; complete with an illuminated stage, fairy-tale characters and glistening costumes.

The event will also include a selection of classical and contemporary ballet performances. Penrith Mayor  Ballet dancers joined Minister for the Arts Don Harwin and Penrith Mayor John Thain at the Sydney International Regatta Centre on Saturday for the John Thain said Ballet Under announcement of this year’s Ballet Under The Stars event.

The Stars is sure to be a spectacular event.

“With the Sydney International Regatta and to providing cultural tourism experiences Centre as the venue, and Penrith Lakes and that have real economic benefits.

“Last year’s event attracted more than 8,000 the Blue Mountains as the backdrop, locals and visitors to the region can look forward to a people and we expect that number to grow very special outdoor performance, “Cr Thain this year. What’s most exciting is that research shows more visitors are choosing to stay longer said.

Ballet Under The Stars is the Australian and make the most of their time in Penrith and Ballet’s only free outdoor program. Cr Thain that’s great news for local businesses,” Cr Thain said he’s proud of the leading role Council said.

For more information, head to visitpenrith. played in securing this event for Penrith.

“Our ongoing support for this event com.au.

To pre-register for tickets go to australianballet. demonstrates our commitment to bringing major events and world-class performances to Penrith com.au

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Phone: 4722 8660 Email: penrith@parliament.nsw.gov.au Shop 23, Tattersalls Centre, 510-534 High Street, Penrith

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Sleeping rough to support our local homeless Mayor of Penrith, John Thain joined community leaders, local families, residents, agencies, community organisations and businessmen and women to show his support of Homelessness Week at SLEEP IN YOUR CAR at St Marys Railway Station. The event was organized by Fusion Western Sydney and Platform Youth Services.

This year saw the biggest SLEEP IN YOUR CAR in its five-year history in western Sydney with more than 60 people giving up their bed for the night to help others find theirs. A huge thank you goes to all those who put a lot of effort into raising much needed funds to support the work of Platform Youth Services and Fusion Western Sydney with vulnerable young people and families in our community. A phenomenal $16,000 was raised with donations still coming in at www. sleepinyourcar.com.au (western Sydney).

The success of the event was also due to the coming together of many generous volunteers and community organisations to help raise awareness of homelessness. Rotary Club of St Marys provided the BBQ on Friday evening and a hot breakfast on Saturday morning for the “sleepers”.

Local church ‘Jesus Is Lord’ served a welcomed hot soup in Veness Place Carpark later in the evening. The highlight of the programme was when two young people shared their personal journeys of struggle and how Fusion and Platform helped them get on their feet to now live healthy independent lives.

Over 105,000 Australians have no place to call home. Just under half this number are young people under 25.

Youth homelessness

predominantly occurs following trauma, such as family violence, child abuse or family breakdown. The vast majority of young people experiencing homelessness are hidden from view, living in refugees, couch surfing or sleeping in cars with their family but their experience is very real. With good support and accommodation, young people can move forward and live healthy productive lives.

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there and celebrated a community that can better care for people when they need it most.

SLEEP IN YOUR CAR is a Fusion national initiative and was held at 10 Fusion Centres during Homelessness Week across the country. Locations included: Hornsby, Campsie, Orange, St Marys (NSW), Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula (VIC), Canberra (ACT), Kapunda (S.A.) Geraldton (WA) and Sunshine Coast (QLD).

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Escape to everywhere

Stuart Ayres MP, Member for Penrith joined Sarah Dean and Barjinder Kaur of Penrith City Library to encourage participation in 2017 Book Week which will run from 19-26 August.

Now in its 72nd year, Children’s Book Week is the longest running children’s festival in Australia.

Through the Children’s Book Council of Australia, Book Week brings children and books, authors, illustrators, schools and libraries together to celebrate Australian children’s literature.

Stuart Ayres said Australia has some

terrific children’s authors such as the renowned Mem Fox, Andy Griffiths and of course the late May Gibbs.

The theme for Book Week 2017 is “Escape to Everywhere” and all children from Kindy to Year 6 are invited to join the celebration by dressing up as their favourite book character and to engage in local activities.

“Whether reading an Australian classic like The Magic Pudding or one of the Treehouse series, Book Week is the perfect time to encourage our children to discover the joy of reading,” said Stuart Ayres.

Rat bait poisoning in dogs The use of rat bait around the home is very common to aid in controlling rodents. Unfortunately, rat bait toxicities in dogs are one of the most common that we see as vets. Most rat baits include green, blue or red dyes, however, dogs have poor colour vision and often think that these are food. If you know your pet has eaten rat poision, it is important that you let your vet know immediately.

How does rat bait work? Rat bait kills by interfering with the ability of the body to produce clotting factors. Rat bait does this by abolishing the recycling of vitamin K in the body which is a vital step in the clotting cascade. This means that as soon as vitamin K reserves are depleted, no blood clots will form. After rat bait is ingested, it takes several days to deplete vitamin K. After it is depleted, even the smallest trauma like a small cut can lead to life threatening bleeding.

What are the symptoms of poisoning? Signs of poisoning usually appear a few days to a week after ingestion. This happens because it takes a few days to deplete vitamin K. Signs include lethargy, pale gums, bleeding gums, coughing blood, blood in urine or stools and small bruises over the body.

How is it diagnosed and treated? Diagnosis is

made through history and based on a blood test that can check clotting times. If your animal ingests rat bait in the previous few hours, the vet can give your dog a medicine that will make them vomit; this allows most of the toxin to be removed from the body. An antidote for rat bait is available and is given for 4-6 weeks post ingestion; unfortunately, this long course is required as rat bait can last in the system for an extended period of time.

Sometimes rat bait is ingested without the owners knowledge and an untreated animal can suffer from severe blood loss; these animals generally require aggressive treatment involving blood and plasma transfusions.

Luckily, rat bait poisonings can be treated. It is essential that you advise your vet as soon as you suspect that your pet has eaten rat bait. Treatment is much simpler in the early stages of ingestion. If you decide to use rat bait around your home, please make sure that it cannot be accessed by pets or children. If you have any concerns, please phone us on 4731 3055.

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Werrington festival bringing families together

By Conner Lowe

The annual We r r i n g t o n festival is aiming to help bring all families in the area together during this year’s event. The Werrington festival will be on Saturday the 19th of August starting at 11am and ending at 3pm. The festival organisers will be hoping for a big turn out to repeat last year’s record breaking turnout.

The Werrington festival was originally established

by Werrington Community Projects back in the 1980’s. The Werrington Community Development team have been running the event annually since the festivals opening show.

The main reason for the Werrington Festival, to bring all residents together for a common positive purpose, which in turn provides disadvantaged families with the same opportunities for social events that families in higher socioeconomic areas experience.

Nicole Devine, a Community Development Worker spoke about what the Werrington festival aims to achieve and how they can help families in any way possible.

“We aim to provide as many free activities as possible at the festival. This allows parents to have

fun, grab some lunch from a food vendor and spend a couple of dollars in the stalls, which are also local community stalls,” she said.

“This year all the family rides and activities are provided free of charge and we have subsidised some of the kid’s fun food vendors so they can provide fairy floss, popcorn and slushes at a reduced price for families.”

Many local businesses get involved sponsoring activities and donating prizes and resources for the event. There are community stalls selling new and preloved products. Another advantage of providing free activities is so the families may have some left over cash to spend at the community stalls.

There are also a variety of local community

organisation information stalls, such as Life Start and Ability Links. This helps to develop relationships between residents, business and local community services.

Hogs Breath Cafe St Marys, Outback Steak House Penrith, Supa IGA Werrington County, Coles Cambridge Park and Jim Aitken Glenmore Park have donated products to run the Werrington Festival.

Plus, their major sponsors, Richardson & Wrench have sponsored the jumping castles and Supa IGA Werrington County will be running a stall on the day which will help fund the family attractions.

Everyone involved with the Werrington festival would like to thank all of the community stores that helped contribute to this year’s event.

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Are Councillors set to lose all DA power?

By Keegan Thomson

THE State Government is tightening its grip on local Councils after announcing mandatory Independent Hearing and Assessment Panels (IHAPs) would be forced on development applications valued between $5 million and $30 million.

DA’s less than $5 million must be dealt with by council staff and our Councillors say they will be removed from having any input.

“We’ve already got a process in place that includes a Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) for any DAs over $20 million,” Cr Thain said.

“It has worked really well and now this legislation is going to change the way we do business. It just shows how out of touch the State Government is with western Sydney.”

The make up of the new IHAPs will be different and Councillors are banned from being on these panels. They will be made up of four people, one expert chosen by the Minister for Planning, two other experts from a pool of people and one community representative.

Details of how these people are chosen has not yet been determined.

According to the Minister for Planning, Anthony Roberts, the new IHAPs will help make the DA process more transparent, it will cut down on corruption and will allow Councils to stay focused on providing the community with the services they need.

“It is essential the Government has a transparent and accountable process in place when assessing DAs of significant value, when there is a conflict of interest for the council or developer, or when they are

of a sensitive nature,” Mr Roberts said.

“By making IHAPs mandatory, local councils will be able to focus on providing community services, strategic plans and development controls for their local area.”

Mayor John Thain disputes the fact the IHAPs are going to make Council’s job easier, saying it will only lead to a backlog of DA approvals and will slow down development of the region.

“This is only going to slow up the process,” Cr Thain said. “$5 million isn’t a substantial development anymore, not in this day and age, and with the IHAPs set at $5 million it simply isn’t practical.”

The Mayor also rejected the notion that this new process will rat out corruption within local governments.

“You don’t know who these Government appointed people are and how they’re going to be checked. You don’t know who they work for,” Cr Thain said.

“If they work for developers then how does that provide governance for the DA process?

“It is an insult because the State Government is tarring all Councils with the same brush.”

Councillor Greg Davies said this is the third piece of legislation the State Government has imposed that will impact local Councils after the Council amalgamations proposal and emergency services levy.

“This legislation is a knife in the back of democracy as it removes any input from the community into the process,” Cr Davies said.

During the Council Meeting on Monday night there was clear anxiety and concern over the new legislation with many Councillors asking, “What happens next?”

Councillor Aaron Duke questioned whether or not there was any role for Council in the future due to the fact that they’ll no longer be able to control or advise on any DAs. Councillor Ross Fowler, a Liberal Party member and former Mayor, gave the State Government a scathing review saying, “This State Government must have a death wish.”

In a cheeky comment, Councillor Greg Davies compared the methods of the State Government to that of the belligerent dictatorship of Kim Jong Un’ communist regime in North Korea.

At the end of the debate on the IHAPs it was proposed that Council would open up dialogues between the State Government and other regional Councils to evaluate the challenges that the new legislation would bring.

Battle of the sexes fitness challenge

By Keegan Thomson

A LIGHT hearted battle of the sexes style grudge match is hoping to inspire Nepean locals into adding a bit more exercise into their daily routines.

Federal Member for Lindsay, Emma Husar, and former Penrith citizen of the year, Wayne “Willmo” Willmington, are going head to head in an all-out winner-takes-all fitness challenge.

Starting this week, Emma and Wayne are going to throw themselves into a health kick and make a healthy lifestyle a priority, something they’re encouraging all western Sydney locals to do.

“I know it can sometimes be hard to make time for yourself so finding a friend to push you along is great incentive”, Ms Husar said.

Western Sydney suffers from much higher rates of lifestyle-related chronic health diseases such as diabetes, cancer and asthma, all illnesses that can be treated with regular exercise.

“Our health is not always given the priority it deserves and unfortunately our health system is under constant stress when we need it most. It’s important we look after ourselves,”

Willmo and Emma Husar MP with their personal trainers.

Photo: Supplied.

Ms Husar said.

Taking up the challenge in good spirit, Mr Willmington said he welcomes the challenge and was looking forward to getting on with it.

“I know Emma is going to push

me hard and I can’t back out now,” Willmo said.

“Emma will certainly be competitive and keep me on my toes,” he said.

Ms Husar wants everyone to have

a go at their own personal fitness challenges.

“Challenge your partner, a friend or even colleague, it is all about finding a goal and taking that first step,” Ms Husar said.

Liberal politician comes out against plebiscite POSTAL votes in the marriage equality plebiscite should be sent to your mailbox within the next month but not all advocates of same sex marriage are happy about it.

Shayne Mallard is a Liberal and a Member of the Legislative Council (Upper House) of the NSW Parliament. He was born in Penrith, lives in the Blue Mountains and is an openly gay man who is “fundamentally and philosophically” opposed to the plebiscite.

“No other group of people in Australian society have had to ask their neighbours for validation and for a consensus as to whether or not they can marry the person they love the most,” Mr Mallard said.

Mr Mallard married his Danish husband in 2013 at a ceremony in Denmark, a place where marriage equality has been active since 2012, in a Lutheran church filled with 120 people.

“The church steeple didn’t fall down on top of us, the church bell didn’t crack open and collapse from the ceiling,” Mr Mallard said.

“It was heart breaking to return to Australia, a country I love, only to have my marriage simply not be recognised.”

Being both a gay man and a card carrying member of the Liberal Party, Mr Mallard is in a minority. Making his situation even more unique, he is one of the only sitting Liberals of the NSW State Parliament to openly oppose the plebiscite on marriage equality.

Mr Mallard says that being a vocal opponent to the Liberal policy on same sex marriage reinforces the value of democracy and free speech.

“It is healthy to have these conversations within

the parties because communities are cynical about politicians and if they see a contest of ideas they realise politicians can think for themselves,” he said.

It is clear that being a minority hasn’t quelled his opinions on marriage equality, instead it has empowered him to speak out and scrutinise the current Marriage Act. “Currently Australia is an embarrassment in terms of civil liberties,” Mr Mallard said.

“It was 2013 when we got married and we

thought it wouldn’t be long before Australia would legalise same sex marriage. I didn’t expect it to be 4 years later before we would even have the open conversation about it in the Parliament.

“Because of all this Australia is 10 years behind the rest of the world,” he said.

Last month an Essential poll was released saying 63 percent of Australian support marriage equality compared to 25 percent who don’t, with 12 percent saying they were undecided.

Despite the convincing number of people in support of marriage equality, there are fears in the same sex marriage advocacy camp that the plebiscite might produce a result that is less than favourable.

A number of high profile advocates for same sex marriage have come out against the plebiscite and have urged the community to boycott the vote. One of those voices is Australia’s first openly gay judge in the High Court, Michael Kirby.

Putting his frustrations and oppositions towards the plebiscite aside, Mr Mallard says we should all vote in the non-compulsory plebiscite so we can have our voices heard on the issue.

“There is a grave danger here that there will be a low turnout and that the contrasting elements will turn out in number and vote us down,” Mr Mallard said.

“All of the members of the gay community might not agree with the plebiscite but we’re calling on the community to do this.

“Get all of your friends and family to post it in. If you care about family, if you care about community, if you care about equality and if you care about freedom of speech then vote yes,” he said.

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The G Spot

AM I the only one that has the head shaking moment? You know when you look at someone and besides fantasising about shaking the living crap out of them and giving them an uppercut, you’re actually wondering if there is anything remotely logical happening between the walls of ones ears? Ground control to Major friggn Tom, check ignition engine light is on?

For those of you who have grown to know me and get into my G spot more and more; meaning as avid readers of my column aptly called the G spot, let’s do a quick summary recap and overview, You know that I hate shopping (Tick), I detest drunken boneheads who think that that this planet was designed and centred around them, when in fact the only planet suitable for inhabiting (big word) these wonderful folk, is….. Uranus (Tick),

I once arrested a woman with a frozen chook between her legs (Double tick), OH and last but not least, I know my stuff when it comes to security. (The crowd goes wild, triple tick).

Now, call it what you may, selfabsorption or self-gratification, but yes, I do know what I am talking about when it comes to the security world.

So that brings me to the next subject, let’s have a quick look at cheap crap over better crap when it comes to selecting the equipment such as cameras for your house or business.

Clearing throat and grabbing another wine.

This is the serious part, so I have my serious typing face on. A few months ago I was asked to complete a quote for CCTV, which basically means surveillance cameras for a home or business. Did the quote, completed the job. End of story. NEXT!

With Gina Field, Nepean Regional Security

Don’t get me wrong, I believe in competition, I believe in getting the best value for money. I truly do, because I too, am a consumer in this world as well. And whilst I am not going to divulge the brands of the equipment, the mind friggn boggles when people go with quotes for cameras that have less value than Tonka toys.

Seriously, three-ply toilet paper would have more life than these and maybe more clarity (who knows). I reckon stapling your mother in-law and a few friends that you hate to your external architraves would provide better surveillance (Until they starved to death of course, then an upgrade may be required).

All I can say is please do your homework, look up the brands on the net, look at the reviews and look at the name.

This particular one quote (not mine),

the cameras would not have even cashed in at 10 bucks a pop. It is as simple as that. The more, I, let’s just say... grow older, I can’t believe what people skimp on and splurge on. A designer bag holds more weight than healthy food and so on and so on, security is one of those things that is an after-thought.

I guess, the thing that I have to be extremely thankful for is that my G spot column is all about real life experiences and this my loyal fans, is another experience that I have survived and been able to write about.

So there you have it, the chicken was cooked when we pulled it out, drunken boneheads belong in Uranus, I still hate grocery shopping, do your homework when shopping for alarm systems and cameras and no hated friends or a mother-in-law were injured during the writing of this column.

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Go bananas carnival night

A place where your kids can literally go bananas is having their 7th Birthday, and to celebrate, Go Bananas is hosting a fun-packed, excitement-filled, carnival night for all kids and families to enjoy.

The event will be held on Friday the 18th of August, with the photographic session commencing at 6pm, and the event will wrap up at 9pm.

Carnival Night is a celebration of entertaining and caring for children, and it’s Go Bananas biggest event yet.

The night will be brought to life with lots of colourful activities to explore, such as carnival games, sideshow alley, face painting, and plenty of amusement.

Go Bananas Chief Executive Officer Amgad Botros said since

launching in 2010, hundreds of thousands of children and their families have enjoyed the wonderful and unique environment that is Go Bananas.

“The event is an opportunity to reflect on the wonderful opportunity we have had over seven years to bring magic to so many children’s lives.”

Each child will receive a complimentary lolly bag for each ticket purchased, and parents will receive free entry to accompany their child.

Go Bananas is located in St Marys, adjacent to the Rugby League Club and is Australia’s largest children’s indoor climbing frame, over 1800m2 in size.

Tickets are available from Eventbrite.com, or at the door of Go bananas play centre.

Woolies sharing magic

Woolworths stores throughout the Nepean region are releasing Royal Australian Mint limited edition $2 coins into their tills leading up to Children’s Book Week, featuring designs from the iconic Australian children’s book Possum Magic.

The three $2 coin designs have been struck by the Royal Australian Mint with illustrations of the main character, Hush, from the beloved story. The designs stay true to the original illustrations, which also feature colourful “magic dust” rings.

The Royal Australian Mint is also releasing a limited edition Possum Magic Coin Collection that will be available at Woolworths and the Mint while stocks last. The album features all three $2 coin designs, four different $1 coin designs and

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a unique 1 cent coin, specially designed by Possum Magic illustrator, Julie Vivas, just for this Collection.

Possum Magic author Mem Fox said nobody can imagine the level of her excitement.

“Nothing could be more magical than turning Possum Magic from a book into a collection of coins. I’m dizzy with amazement, and honestly, overcome with gratitude that my beloved story is being immortalised in this way,” she said.

Local Woolworths Operations Manager Lisia Roth said the multi-generational appeal of this number one best selling children’s book, along with the story’s inclusion of truly Australian food, connects with families in a unique way.

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14 Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

Our local eight-year-old motor cross star

By Conner Lowe

It’s not often you hear of someone at such a young age who is so skilled in such a competitive and difficult sport like motor cross. Orchard Hills local Riley Burgess is only eight years old and he has quickly become a rising sensation; amazing everyone with his skills on a motorbike at such a young age.

Riley had a passion for bike riding as a toddler.

He first started riding motor bikes at the age of two years old. He then started competing at the age of seven years old and hasn’t looked back.

Riley competes and travels to local and interstate events.

He competed in three rounds of the NSW motor cross state titles, successfully finishing 1st overall in the 7-9 years 50cc class and 3rd overall in the 7-9 years 65cc class. Riley has also competed in five rounds of the east coast motor cross series, with more great results; finishing 1st overall in the 7-9 years 50cc class and 3rd overall in the 7-9 years 65cc class. Riley is also the current NSW state title holder of motor cross in the 7-9 year’s age group.

In September this year Riley will travel to Horsham Victoria to represent the state of NSW at the Australian motor cross titles.

Some of Riley’s previous achievements in motor cross include: - Coffs stadium cross 2nd overall 7-9 years 50cc class - Summer cross 3rd overall 7-9 year 50cc class - Keith Allen classic 1st overall 7-9 years 50cc

class and 2nd overall 7-9 years 65cc class Wayne Burgess, Riley’s father spoke about how well he has done this year and how good Riley can possibly become.

“Riley’s abilities at such a young age, are inspiring and for 2017 season he has placed in all major events,” he said.

“Without a doubt, it has been extremely expensive and time-consuming, however Riley has loads of support.

“Riley has some local sponsors which helps offset some of the expenses. We travel all round NSW to enable him to achieve his dreams. With his dedication and determination there is no stopping him. Who knows where this could lead to?”

Riley has a huge future ahead of him in the sport and as he gets older will only get better and better. We would like to wish Riley good luck at his upcoming Australian championships later this year as he continues to show everyone his skills.

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Council catch up with Keegan Thomson COUNCILLOR Karen McKeown has been centre stage of the Penrith City Council for the past 13 years, even serving as Mayor in 2015, so when I caught up with her for this fortnights Council Catch Up we went on a trip down memory lane.

In 2004 Penrith looked a whole lot different. There wasn’t as much development in High street, Penrith Plaza was a whole lot smaller, Mulgoa Road had a few less sets of traffic lights and there were less suburbs in and around the Nepean region.

Reflecting on the last 13 years Cr KcKeown said Penrith has matured a lot for the better due to the increase in business and government investment in the region.

“Penrith has grown up,” Cr McKeown said.

“We had quite a hard time getting investment into the city back in those days.

“But Penrith has come into its own in the last five years where everything is starting to happen,” she said.

Despite the increased investment she said there are a number of hurdles blocking future development in the city and hindering the lifestyle of the people of the region.

“The thing I find frustrating is the infrastructure isn’t quite happening at the same time as the business

Cr Karen McKeown at the revamped Mondo.

Photo: Keegan Thomson

development within the city,” Cr McKeown said.

“We need to be able to move people around the city without relying on two or three cars for a household.

“It would be wonderful to be able to supply jobs for everyone in Penrith because it particularly distresses me greatly that people have to travel three or four hour a day to the city simply for work,” she said Councillor McKeown knows all about the commute from Penrith to the Sydney CBD. After choosing to live in Penrith some 30 years ago she was commuting to and from the city for work for many years.

“There are things people would rather do with their time like attending

their kids sports after school, spend quality time with the family and loved ones or even exercise and go to the gym or go to the theatre,” she said.

In terms of the infrastructure needed

by Penrith, Cr McKeown wants public transport and education put front and centre, including the north-south rail link.

“It is imperative to link all aspects of Sydney with one and other. There are so many isolated communities out and around Penrith and after 7:00 in the evening there isn’t too many buses out to places like Mulgoa, Wallacia, Cranbrook,” she said.

“I would also love to see a university come to the CBD of Penrith because it

would bring so many extra benefits to the region.”

The tech industry and the rise of start up businesses have offered up some changes to the region since Cr McKeown was first elected into Council. The rise of tech and start up businesses have put pressure on the commercial property market, Cr McKeown said.

“At the moment I’m being told that there isn’t any more commercial premises to rent in the city,” Cr McKeown said.

“Maybe some of the new buildings that are coming to the city can incorporate some commercial buildings with some residential living added into it. That could be one solution.”

Looking to the future Cr McKeown is excited to see what Penrith will look like in the next 13 years.

“I think we will be an even more vibrant hub than we are today,” she said.

“I see Penrith as one of those destinations that people want to come to in its own right, and people will still want to live here.

“We have so much going on here, we have so much natural beauty as the backdrop of our city, why wouldn’t people want to come here, Penrith is Sydney’s best-kept secret.”

CROSSWORD ACROSS 8 Precious (4) 9 Governed (5) 10 Catch sight of (4) 11 Wooden slats in a barrel (6) 12 Coupons (8) 13 Restaurant server (8) 15 Filament (6) 17 A female spirit in Irish

folklore (7) 19 Abridged (7) 22 A style of architecture (6) 24 Amazes (8) 26 A type of flowering vine (8) 28 Elaborate (6) 30 Tab (4) 31 Due (5) 32 An audible exhale (4)

DOWN 1 Looted (4) 2 Army grunts (8) 3 Hogfish or razorfish (6) 4 Blindly imitative (7) 5 Altered or corrected (8) 6 Of the underworld (6) 7 Box (4) 14 San Antonio fort (5) 16 Not behind (5) 18 Snails (8) 20 Tightness (8) 21 A type of sponge cake (7) 23 Inns (6) 25 However (6) 27 An ancient city in Asia Minor (4) 29 Clothes (4)

solution 3/8/17

15 Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

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nepeanhistory

16 Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

Alice in Wonderland

By John Low, OAM - local historian

This article was first published in Hut News of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Issue 298, November 2012.

 A 19th century picnic at Govetts Leap.

WHEN the English aristocracy visited the Blue Mountains, as they regularly did, the unfamiliar pleasures of the landscape often seduced them into relaxing the normal formalities of their class.

Even the future Queen Mary and her ladies took to the swings at Leura Cascades in 1901 and wandered the bush paths for longer than they should.

Almost a decade earlier, following a visit to Jenolan Caves in January 1893, Alice, Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos, alighted at the Carrington Hotel with her friend Hilda.

Having roughed it at smaller accommodation houses, they settled in to the comfort of the grand hotel, a panoramic view from their verandah and their dinner table “covered with flowers”.

The following day Sir Frederick Darley of ‘Lilianfels’ took them to Wentworth Falls and the Three Sisters and despite the heat and flies they were not deterred from accepting an invitation the next morning for “a grand picnic expedition” to Govetts Leap.

Coach driver Harry Peckman, their guide for the day, was a man well versed in the art of introducing the aristocracy to the informalities of the bush.

Bushman, poet and raconteur, it was he who had taken Lord and Lady Carrington by horse across the Six Foot Track in 1887 and introduced them to the camaraderie of the camp fire and the delights of billy tea.

“Oh, such a beautiful, wonderful place!” exclaimed Alice on arrival at the Leap, the amphitheatre of cliffs intersected with dashing waterfalls (her words) becoming the background against which the ‘theatre’ of the picnic played out.

Both director and performer, Peckman always ensured that his guests were part of the action.

It began with a story, a skeleton found in the thick bush in the depths of the valley, a lost soul who’d wandered from his friends and died “bewildered in the endless scrub and forest”.

Then a lesson in fire-making and the baking of potatoes, followed by a warning about snakes and a careful study of the ground to ensure no serpents would spoil their “excellent repast”.

After lunch and an exciting scramble down to the edge of the precipice, “throwing stones to see if we could hear them fall”, it was time for the ritual of ‘billy tea’ and the climactic flourish of the guide’s own poetry.

His ‘Laughing Jackass’, a humorous verse and prose piece that included a reputedly faultless imitation of a Kookaburra, brought the picnic to a suitably colourful conclusion.

But the drama had not yet ended! Nature still had a few lines of her own to deliver. “On the way home”, Alice reported, “we were caught in a tremendous thunderstorm, and got well soaked – hailstones like peas ... and sheets of rain.

“It rains like a water-spout here when it once begins.

“Some of the ladies were so frightened that they took refuge in a house, but most of us drove on and braved the elements”.

An outing with Harry was invariably a memorable experience!

Authors note: A copy of Alice’s letters, Glimpses of Four Continents, written during her world tour and published in London in 1894, is held in the Local Studies Section at Springwood Library.

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18 Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

D-MAX looking to thrill fans at the Penrith Show

By Conner Lowe

The Penrith Show will be hosting some of the greatest entertainment when D-MAX hits front stage during the show. The precision driving team has been doing shows around Australia for decades and the stunts and driving continue to become faster, harder and more thrilling each year.

Isuzu Team D-MAX is Australia’s longest running and most famous precision driving team. For more than 50 years the D-MAX team has performed in front of millions of people each year at major capital cities and regional shows throughout Australia.

The D-MAX team was officially established in 1969. The team then was known as the “Holden Precision Driving Team”. Over the years, we have been known by a number of guises. It was in 2013, when Isuzu UTE Australia became the team’s factory sponsor that we changed our name to Team D-MAX. By the end of the calendar year, Team D-MAX will have performed to more than 1.6 million people from 31 agricultural shows, field days and camping expositions.

Following Penrith, the team embarks on a very busy September appearing at the Royal Adelaide Show for 10 days, then straight to Beenleigh Show in QLD, before heading across the Nullarbor to the Royal Perth Show for another 10 days.

The team will perform a huge range of stunts including formation driving in both forward and reverse, hi-speed drifting, handbrake flicks and spins, a 12-metre ramp-to-ramp jump and twowheel driving.

During the Penrith Show, Laurence Cripps will be making his first appearance as a D-MAX precision driver. Laurence is from the Penrith area and is ready to perform in front of his home town.

Laurence spoke about how he is feeling coming up to his debut for team D-MAX and how the Penrith crowd will get to see an introduction of the new utes used for the show.

“I am extremely excited to make my debut for Team D-Max. I have been looking forward to it for a long time but there is always the added pressure to perform on the day,” he said.

“To be able to perform with the team in front of a home crowd is great, but Team D-Max is debuting the new Isuzu D-Max SX Crew Cab Utes for this show, as well as my first performance in the team in front of a home crowd, the pressure is quite high.”

The D-MAX team will also be giving away two VIP seats for the 2:30pm show, Sunday the 27th of August. So, for the chance to be riding alongside them during the show send us an email at nepeannews@aol.com and tell us why you’d like to win the seats. All entrants must be 18 or over and be willing to sign a participation waiver. We’ll pass your entry onto the team and they will let us know the winner. Entries close at 5pm on Tuesday August 22nd. Remember to include your full name and contact details.

Thanks to Sinclair Isuzu UTE who have made team D-MAX appearance at the Penrith District Show possible and for supplying the VIP Seats for the newspaper giveaway.

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PIONEER

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Here are 15,000 reasons to smile

By Kerrie Davies

IRIS Russell is a publican of the old school - affable, hardworking and loves bringing smiles to the faces of her patrons.

Two of the patrons at the Pioneer Tavern where she is Licencee and Event Manager are former rugby league great, Triple M presenter and Nepean News columnist, Mark Geyer, and Penrith Golf Club Pro Jonathan Green.

And both these blokes had plenty to smile about last week, when Iris presented them with a cheque for over $15,000 towards the charity very close to their hearts, The Great Walk Foundation.

The funds were made available through the proceeds of a charity luncheon with MG and Wendell Sailor - held a few weeks back at the Pioneer.

The Great Walk Foundation supports many local charities, and Mark Geyer shared with us the story behind it’s beginnings.

“When two great mates sat down for a ‘long lunch’ just under a decade ago, they couldn’t have imagined in a million years that the conversation they were having at that very minute would change so many peoples lives significantly,” MG said.

“The two great mates were Penrith golf pro Jonathan Green and local solicitor and Nepean legend Mark Mulock.

“The exchange that day went along the lines of ( after three or possibly six bottles of Red) “I reckon I can walk between here and Katoomba”. “Well I reckon I could run from here to Lithgow” “ Ok I can walk from here to Orange!”

“After ‘tooing and frowing’ for much of the afternoon it was decided “We will walk from here (Blaxland) to Bathurst! Hence the Great Walk Foundation was spawned.

“In the first year we walked we all quickly decided that it was a lot more beneficial on our lower limbs to walk the opposite way and start at Bathurst and finish at Blaxland. All 160kms of it.

“The Great Walk Foundation is one of the proudest organizations I have been associated with. After this current walk was completed astonishingly the charity has now raised over $1 million, with every red cent going straight to the beneficiaries!

The Great Walk give 100% of monies raised to the designated recipients,” MG said.

Those that have felt the GWF’s love include: Headspace - Mental Health program in Bathurst district with a priority area of suicide prevention.

Lithgow Hospital - Support through funding of new equipment for

hearing tests for children in the local area.

Riding for the Disabled - Nepean Branch, assists with the purchase of food and other incidentals for horses used in the program.

Sailability - Nepean Branch.

Purchase of purpose built yachts for disabled sailors.

Greater Community Transport - purchase of another new bus for community transport.

Springwood Hospital - New

purpose built beds for palliative care patients.

Nepean Hospital Children’s Ward - new equipment for Ward, including incubators in the NIC (Newborn intensive Care) unit.

As you can see the Great Walk’s donations cover a vast array of institutions who each are incredibly appreciative of the efforts of the walkers.

“On the walkers, what a special bunch of men,” MG said.

“Along with Jonathan Green and Mark Mulock, there is Dr Tony Bowden, Trent Baker, Greg Nelson, Rob Wearn, Cameron McInnes, Graham O’Kell, Dave ‘Crossy’ Crossman and yours truly.

“And the walk couldn’t take place without the honourable road crew, who are Flav Varnier, Jeff Townsend, Nick Shaw and Brett Lockett.

“Your blood should be bottled boys,” he said.

21 Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

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22 Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

The Wharf Revue: The Patriotic Rag

Coming soon at The Joan

Three Sides of Love and Death

By Kerrie Davies

Holding the balance of laughter, The Sydney Theatre Company funsters are back, bringing the Wharf Revue into Bellwether territory once again with their brand new 2017 edition.

Australians all let us rejoice for the return of The Wharf Revue.

The unstoppable comedic minds of Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott have been keeping the nation’s political and cultural leaders on their metaphorical toes since before Sydney hosted the Olympics.

In 2017, they return with an all-new, up-to-the-minute, fibre-to-the-node dose of sidesplitting sketches and rib-tickling songs. From the highs to the lows, from the good to the bad to the ugly, this will be a parade of the year’s most memorable characters and the moments they’d prefer to forget.

So, whether you want to calm your nerves or

double your disillusion, we all need a fresh serve of laughter, dance and foolishness. With The Wharf Revue on its way into town, there truly has never been a more exciting time to be alive.

Be quick before it sells out: 31 August 2 September. Standard tickets $75, Concession $70.

Penrith Performing & Visual Arts | Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre

Night Coordinators – Two part-time roles

(Data and Events | Customer Experience) Penrith Location | approx. 15 hours per week each | LGA Level 5 Penrith Performing & Visual Arts is on the hunt for two Night Coordinators, part-time complementary roles that work as part of the broader Venue Services team across the range of educational, artistic, community and Conservatorium programs of the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre.

A well-presented, skilled communicator, the Night Coordinator is responsible for security, ticketing and venue services primarily during rehearsal and teaching evening periods. You will need to have skills across a specialised range of systems, excellent communication skills and the ability to think laterally to help coordinate information and services across the diverse teams and extended operating hours of The Joan.

The Night Coordinator – Data and Events will also assist in information collection, reporting and analysis; and the Night Coordinator – Customer Experience will assist in the design and maintenance of collateral and displays across the organisation.

Position descriptions and more information: www.thejoan.com.au/news Closing Date: 28 August

The 11 piece orchestra is assembled from musicians from diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds creating ‘new’ Australian music that traverses cultures, faiths and genres.

Three Sides of Love and Death is a concert that traverses the sacred and cultural traditions of the world and brings them together, to explore the universal themes of unconditional love and rites of passage through the culturally diverse stories and sacred music practices of the Chamber Orchestra musicians.

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PAR SOU BRI NEW SYD NQC CAN BUL BRI CAN WES GCT MEL CRO NZW PAN GCT NZW STG MEL WES CRO PAN MAN PAR NEW NQC BUL SOU SYD MAN STG Aug 17 7.50pm

Aug 18 6.00pm

Aug 18 7.50pm

Aug 19 3.00pm

Aug 19 5.30pm

Aug 19 7.30pm

Aug 20 2.00pm

Aug 20 4.00pm

Aug 24 7.50pm

Aug 25 6.00pm

Aug 25 7.50pm

Aug 26 3.00pm

Aug 26 5.30pm

Aug 26 7.30pm

Aug 27 2.00pm

Aug 27 4.00pm

SCORE

Sharon Mudiman - First National Glenmore Park - 0413 757 998

208 Greg Taylor - Stanton & Taylor - 0418 235 333

218 Lauren Fitzpatrick - Penrith Valley Prestige Cleaning - 0415 166 306

198 Mark Fitzpatrick - Penrith Valley Pest Control - 0430 220 263

224 Toby Hughes - Sinclair Hyundai - 4720 1111

194 Daniel Galea - Adenbrook Homes - 9622 4091

216 Vic Shipley - Powersmart Electrical - 0415 982 093

204 Tricia Hitchen - Deputy Mayor - 0417 365 313

220 John Thain - Penrith City Mayor - 0411 427 812

196 Jeff WatsonBenard - Club Bratusa President, St Marys Band Club - 9623 1211 Councillor

224 Aaron Tyres- -Venue @printManager, Pioneer Tavern - 4736 4466 Iris Russell

198

TIPSTERS ROUND 24

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Aug 18 6.00pm

Aug 18 7.50pm

Aug 19 3.00pm

Aug 19 5.30pm

Aug 19 7.30pm

Aug 20 2.00pm

Aug 20 4.00pm

Aug 24 7.50pm

Aug 25 6.00pm

Aug 25 7.50pm

Aug 26 3.00pm

Aug 26 5.30pm

Aug 26 7.30pm

Aug 27 2.00pm

Aug 27 4.00pm

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188 Victor Glanville - Vic’s Maxi Transport - 4732 2195

216 Peter Zaccazan - Zac Homes - 1300 350 793

218 Alex McKenzie - Future Financial Services - 0414 330 651

218 Paul Wallace - Property Central - 0412 272 407

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208 Steve Beard - Select Mortgage - 0403 166 207

202 Aaron Tyers - @print - 4731 5055 Nicole Keene - Blink Property - 1300 629 610

190

26

penrith panthers

Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

Penrith’s need for first half speed: Tamou

By Stewart Moses @TheRiffMarn

The Panthers are on a NRL season-equalling six match unbeaten streak but it’s fair to say the side hasn’t played to its full potential in that time.

While Penrith have dominated teams in the second half, having outscored the opposition 88-30 in their winning run thus far, it’s been a far different story in the first half.

Wrong options and an inability to create pressure on the last tackle has seen the Panthers often level pegging or even trailing their opponents at the break.

Penrith’s latest victory albeit one over an injury-riddled Cowboys side, was a welcome relief to James Tamou.

But the former North Queensland premiership-winning prop says that his relatively inexperienced team needs to quickly address those first half issues if they are to compete with the better sides.

“It’s been good that we finish strongly in those second halves but if we are going to really compete with the top teams we really need to start our games a lot faster,” Tamou told Nepean News.

“The talent that this team possess is unreal but our last tackle options, whether we need to push the ball to try and offload or not, those things comes with experience.

“The results go to show that we can play but at crucial times of the game, sometimes we just really need to knuckle down and get to a kick.”

Freely admitting that a slow start to his first season as a Panther cost him his spot in the NSW State of Origin squad, Tamou says it gave him the kick to improve his form in recent weeks and hasn’t given up on a State of Origin recall in 2018.

When compared to his overall season performance, Tamou has lifted over the past six weeks, averaging over 112m per game and has broken the line twice to score, whilst maintaining a healthy 94% tackle efficiency in defence.

“I knew personally that with other players going well enough to play, it was always going to be tough,” Tamou replied.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be in the mix but it did give me a boost to want to be better and obviously there is next year to look forward to.”

The Panthers are now on the brink of joining just three other sides who have come from a 2-7 win loss record

 James Tamou versus former team-mate Jason Taulomolo was one of the highlights of last Sat’s clash. Photo: 77 Media.

to qualify for the finals, with Tamou conceding that start to the season may well have been a blessing in disguise given they went into the season with the added burden of being unexpected co-premiership favourites.

“There could be a silver lining there (from that start),” Tamou declares.

“Obviously at the start of the year we were favourites.

“But (what happened since) was kind of good too as it took everything away and allowed us to start again, play our game and it’s starting to work out now.

“Being a long year, we knew that as long as we were competing we would be amongst it.

“But we need to be better at a few more things.

“We know we have the team, and if we can put it all together now, we’ll be right up there.”

But standing in the way of Penrith making back-to-back finals for the first time since 2003-04 are Canberra, St George-Illawarra and Manly.

While excited the team is within reach of making the finals, Tamou warns that the team will need to play better against their looming opponents and can’t afford to look too far ahead.

“It’s always exciting but we can’t get too ahead of ourselves and just take each game as it comes,” Tamou said.

“The Raiders I think will definitely be a really tough game and the Dragons are finding some form again too.

“If we can be better than how we started today, our results will come off that and we’ll be there (come September).”

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Coach’s Corner

Managing conflict

Conflict… Think Hayne V Henry... For the most part in all aspects of life is unavoidable. People at times will disagree and that is natural. When you add in the complexities of Rugby League, conflict can often cause issues amongst stakeholders within the different levels of the game. How we deal with conflict is the key issue in ensuring that we continue to develop and maintain positive relationships within both our personal and professional lives.

There are several key aspects which are necessary to be an effective Rugby League coach, but none more important than how a coach manages and deals with conflict. Conflict to which coaches encounter will more commonly be with: stakeholders within your club, players and the parents of players you are coaching, your own coaching staff or with other coaches.

The easiest way to deal with conflict is to create strict policy and structure which minimises the chance of conflict occurring in the first place. As a coach you are the leader of the team and a role model for your players. It is vitally important you model the correct behaviour in all situations. Do not implement rules, policy and structure to which you are not willing to follow yourself. There are certain circumstances and scenarios where expectations are going to be different between players and coaches, no argument.

However if you are expecting one behaviour from your players but are exhibiting another you will soon lose their trust and respect.

Conflict with players can occur for a variety of reasons such as: game time, selections, criticism, tactics, positions, disciplinary action and expectations. The best way to ensure all players are on the same page is to make an effort to understand your player’s personalities and what makes them tick.

Show that you care beyond the football field, there is an old saying “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. Build solid and trusting relationships with your players to ensure if they do have issues or concerns they feel comfortable in speaking with you about them rather than having them fester within the team environment.

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Make sure you are always transparent and honest with your plans for selections, tactics, positions, interchanges and game time. This will allow you to avoid issues on game day when emotions are often high and there is the element of pressure and the reality of the result. Players should get to game day and understand their role, their position, rough game time and what you expect of them on the field.

There are always going to be external circumstances that can impact on a game which may result in you changing your pre game plans, this is unavoidable.

Just make sure that the players who are affected understand through an open and honest dialogue to clarify your position and reasoning in order to be totally transparent.

If you implement a rule, expectation or structure then make sure you apply it consistently throughout the entire season. This sounds simple… But the question I always ask myself before implementing a rule, expectation or structure is: Will I apply this and follow through on this during Grand Final week if it was my best player in question? If the answer is no, then don’t implement the rule, expectation or structure because as a coach if you are not going to follow through on your word with the players then your integrity will always be in question.

If you deal with your players honestly, respectfully and set strict rules, expectations and structures you will minimise the chance of conflict with parents.

I truly believe that one feeds into the other in that if a player is unhappy or feels like they have been unfairly treated then naturally the parents of that player will become protective and side with their child. In saying that there will always be parents who will be unhappy regardless of how good a job you may be doing. My advice in those situations is always to focus on the controllable elements and coach for the players, not to impress or appease parents who are often only looking at training sessions and games through the perspective of their own child.

Dealing with parents can often be the undoing of a lot of coaches who will become distracted by the criticism and lose focus on the task at hand. In

my first few seasons as a coach all I wanted was the approval of the parents. And for the most part I was able to achieve that, but my focus and energy was channelled completely into the wrong areas. That was really poor coaching on my part. That harsh selfanalysis had to be a lesson for me moving forward.

So I set about implementing a few personal rules when dealing with parents. Firstly I would always prefer that the player conveys any issues or concerns to me directly without involving parents, particularly with young adults (16’s and up) this keeps parental involvement at that age to a minimum which personally I think is a huge positive for all concerned, with junior players the dialogue and connection with the parents is vital as you are dealing with a child.

I encourage all parents if they do have an issue or a concern to contact me immediately and directly, to attempt to avoid conflict in most situations only makes the problem worst, my only exception to this rule is on game day.

On game day all parental contact pregame goes through the team manager and postgame I will not engage in conversation with parents irrespective of the result the team achieved whether positive or negative. Why? Firstly my pregame focus needs to be on best preparing the players if I am expecting the team to play at their best. Coaches need to trust the members of their coaching staff to handle any issues which may arise pregame. If the issue needs to be relayed to the coach it is done via the manager.

Postgame pending on the result some emotions can run high and the last thing you want to encourage is for parents to be conveying their thoughts and feelings immediately after a game when emotions are raw and the game has not yet been digested. I will take phone calls the day after a game but in my experience 99% of the time my phone will not ring, because any issue or concern a parent may have had was often a result of raw emotion and once they have had time to settle and digest the situation or concern they will often see the bigger picture and move on.

To be continued next issue...

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27 Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

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Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

Father-to-be Blake back where he belongs

By Stewart Moses @TheRiffMarn

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Waqa Blake in 2017.

The return from injury of Kiwi internationals Dean Whare and Peta Hiku at season’s start pushed Blake back out to the wing.

A stint in the Intrust Super Premiership then followed as the result of Blake being one of three Panthers who broke curfew in Melbourne.

Then as the form of Tyrone Peachey wavered midway through the season, the seasoned right-centre soon found himself playing inside Josh Mansour on the left.

But Waqa Blake is looking ever the 2016 version once more and possibly even better with his shift back to his preferred right side and renewing his partnership with Dallin WateneZelezniak, which again is working to great effect in Penrith’s unbeaten sixgame run.

What’s more impressive this season is that Blake, who was initially shifted back to the right to cover for Whare’s broken jaw suffered against South Sydney, has been in such good form in recent weeks it has left coach Anthony

 Waqa Blake proved to be a handful for the Cowboys to contain. Photo: 77 Media.

Griffin no choice but to play Whare, a current Kiwi international centre, in the Intrust Super Premiership.

The centre, who hopes to represent Fiji at this year’s World Cup has far exceeded his season performances in his last four games.

In attack, Blake has scored twice, averages 133 metres from 13 runs per game, has made three line-breaks, 12 tackle-breaks and has produced two try assists and a line-break assist.

Defensively Blake has improved as well lifting his work-rate to nearly 14 tackles per game whilst lifting his tackle efficiency to a season high 89%.

Blake admits that given the form of Penrith’s other outside backs – Josh Mansour, Peachey and WateneZelezniak, he needed to lift too before conceding that while recent public

reassurances from coach Anthony Griffin that the centre deserves his spot despite the availability of Whare has provided confidence, there is still much to improve on his game if he is to retain his spot.

“Hook (Anthony Griffin) has said his bit to me as well but I put (my performances) that down to myself,” Blake told Nepean News.

“I had a good hard look at myself the past few weeks and just needed to get myself more involved.

“Everyone else is putting in and does their job and I just needed to do mine.”

“There’s obviously a few areas of my game I need to work on.

“But it does give me confidence when the coach says those things but it keeps us on our toes too.

“Dean Whare is a quality international centre and you’ve got to value the spot you’ve been given and that’s what Peach and I have been doing.

Despite having won ten of their last twelve to be in sixth position, Blake says the side can’t afford to be thinking past this week’s trip to Canberra where the Panthers have the opportunity to redeem themselves for last year’s finals loss which the Fijian international missed through injury.

“We’re not concentrating too much on where we are at the moment as there are still a few more games left,” Blake responded.

“We just need to worry about what’s in front of us this week (Canberra).”

Away from the footy field and Waqa and his partner Jessica recently announced that they are the latest in the Panther family set to become parents in coming months, joining the likes of Peter Wallace, James FisherHarris and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

“A few of the boys have got a little one on the way and I’ve just announced that Jessica and I have got a little baby girl on the way as well,” Blake confirmed.

“It’s due January 3rd but it might come even earlier, perhaps this year but I’m excited either way.”

Sports Scenes

(With Thanks to 77 Media)

It’s been four weeks to remember as the Panthers continue their winning stretch at home.

The cameras of 77 Media were on hand to capture the Panthers’ latest efforts against the Cowboys and the Tigers.

Plenty of fireworks in this game.

Would you like “Sauce” with your “Meat Pie”?

Plenty of big thrills......

Plenty of spills.....

As a young half pulls off the try saver of the year & steers his side to victory.

Six days earlier an old friend brings some familiar faces back home.

And there’s room for some brotherly love.....

There was even plenty of chat among the captains....

Just how good the coach’s kid could be.

Repeat Sets with Stew Moses

@TheRiffMarn

IT’S ALL OR NOTHING NOW AS PENRITH CLIMB INTO THE TOP EIGHT It’s been a largely predictable season for the better half of the 2017 season with the NRL top eight looking cut and dried at one point.

But in recent weeks, the bottom sides have come alive and have inflicted defeats that have suddenly had huge ramifications for the top eight.

As Penrith goes about notching up win after win, perhaps not in the most entirely convincing of manners at times, recent wins by Newcastle, Wests Tigers and Souths have enabled the Panthers to climb up to sixth position, two points ahead of a perhaps resurgent St GeorgeIllawarra Dragons and four in front of the fastfinishing Canberra Raiders, whom Penrith meet in the nation’s capital this Sunday.

With ten wins from their last twelve under their belt including six in a row, the Panthers can finish in the top four, which would be a first in the NRL for a side starting the season with a 2 and 7 record IF the Panthers win all three remaining games and Cronulla, Parramatta and North Queensland lose at least one game.

But on the other end of the spectrum, a tough run home against Canberra and Manly away sandwiched with a home game against the St George-Illawarra Dragons means the Panthers could lose all three games and fade out of finals contentions.

Penrith may have won the game 24-16 but the game will be equally remembered as a gutsy effort by a Cowboys side who already went into the game missing the likes of Thurston, Scott, Cooper, Martin and Winterstein, lost skipper Morgan and centre O’Neill before half-time, yet defended grimly to make the Panthers work for the victory.

But while the Cowboys skipped out to a 16-6 lead early in the second half, it was a last-ditch oneon-one tackle by Nathan Cleary on Coen Hess that enabled the Panthers to come home the stronger to get two valuable points, which pleased coach Anthony Griffin who despite the win, admitted his side will need to play better than that to defeat Canberra this Sunday.

“I thought the tackle was unbelievable, probably the play of the night for us,” Griffin declared.

“It was a really desperate defensive game. We scrambled really hard, they scrambled really hard.

“They probably saved four of five tries there in that last twenty minutes.

intent was really good all night.

“We got scored on three times - two on last play when they had the ball and one on ours they went a hundred metres.

“But generally our defensive line was good and we limited their opportunities and built enough pressure at the back end to put the game where we wanted to but it was a tough old game.”

 Josh Mansour & co will need to put in a super effort to defeat Canberra this Sunday. Photo: 77 Media.

“Again (in attack) we were a little bit messy there tonight.

“At times we were settled but we just got a little frantic at times again.

“We were better than last week but we’ve got a lot to improve on as we look forward to the next game against the Raiders, which will be a massive test for us down there.

“We’re going to have to be a lot better than what we were tonight.

“But if we keep winning the ladder will take care of itself.”

Against the Wests Tigers in front of seasonequalling best home crowd of 15,870 the Panthers having been denied two tries in the opening fifteen minutes to obstruction calls, soon went back to their dithering ways particularly in the first half.

Fifth tackle options and a poor 65% completion rate kept a willing Wests Tigers in the game yet when the game was there to be won again the likes of Nathan Cleary stood up where it counted to see Penrith record an important 28-14 win.

But despite the attack still looking clunky at times, Griffin was happy with the way his team defended for most of the game.

“It was always going to be that type of game, the Tigers are a quality side and their last six weeks has been pretty good,” Griffin responded.

“We always knew it was going to be an eighty minute game today and I thought most of the time we handled it really well.

“It looked messy at times but I thought our

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Penrith remain third (and still a chance for second) having all but secured a top-four finish after returning from the bye to resoundingly defeat Newtown 46-10 at Henson Park.

This Saturday night, the Panthers host North Sydney at St Marys Stadium, with the Bears a mathematical hope of shifting Penrith out of the top four before taking on Wentworthville away the following Sunday in the final round of the regular season.

David Tangata-Toa’s Holden Cup side hold down second spot but only just as a win over strugglers Wests Tigers was followed by a 40-16 hammering by the North Queensland Cowboys.

It doesn’t get any easier over the next fortnight either with games against the Raiders and the inform Dragons, with a slip out of the top four a real possibility if the Panthers can’t string some wins together.

In team news, Peter Wallace’s broken hand sees Sione Katoa named as his replacement at hooker for the must-win clash in Canberra this Sunday, with Mitch Rein named among the four reserves at this stage.

In some good Trent Merrin (knee) has also been named among the reserves but it remains to be seen whether he will be right to take his place.

The 21-man squad is as follows in numeric order: Edwards, Mansour, Peachey, Blake, D WateneZelezniak, Moylan (C), Cleary, Tamou, Katoa, Campbell-Gillard, Harawira-Naera, Yeo, Leota.

Interchange: May, Cartwright, Browne, FisherHarris, Merrin, Whare, Kikau, Rein.

The following Sunday sees Panthers return home for the final time this year when they host the Dragons in a match that could decide the top eight.

Hopefully Brisbane can do Penrith a favour with a win this week!

See you at the game. #PantherPride

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GOLDEN POINTS with Stew Moses

@TheRiffMarn

PENRITH LOOK TO SECURE EDWARDS, CLEARY TO NEW LONG-TERM DEALS As first reported some while back, the Panthers are deep in negotiations to secure rising-star fullback Dylan Edwards, who along with Raiders winger Nick Cotric, has been one of the rookies to watch in 2017.

The fullback who ranks second in the NRL only to Jason Taumalolo in metres gained per game, is already under contract until the end of 2018, but is on a modest deal that needs to be upgraded urgently before November 1.

Meanwhile things look to get interesting in the Cleary household after reports emerged the Panthers were looking to extend Nathan’s deal for a further five-years after his current deal expires at the end of 2019.

It was reported that the Panthers value the deal at $3 million over five years but Cleary’s performances of late are such that he would already be worth beyond that and at the age of 19, and could become the NRL’s first million-dollar kid.

Ivan has weighed into the debate suggesting there was no rush for his son to sign a new deal, which is interesting given his current half Luke Brooks at the club he now coaches Wests Tigers, also comes off contract at the end of 2019.

Nathan was even quoted in Fairfax Media suggesting one day he would like to play under his dad as a coach. Watch this space.

Despite being unwanted yet again by coach Ivan Cleary, former Panther Tim Grant has hosed down suggestions he will return home to the foot of the mountains at this stage.

Furthermore, Panthers Executive General Manager Phil Gould also recently stated in Fairfax Media with that with the current roster and the likely outcome of the 2018 salary cap, Penrith won’t be in a position to go out to market and add players to its ranks for next season.

Speaking of Penrith’s roster, hasn’t it come a long way in less than two seasons with the squad now distinctly having a local junior or locallyproduced look to it.

The club still boasts the likes of Tamou, Merrin, Browne, Whare, Rein and Akauola in its playing ranks.

But many players who came to the club to do a job as the cream of Penrith’s junior talent got ready to acquaint themselves with the NRL,

home for the first time since switching clubs, in what could be the game that decides the top eight.

However the club has confirmed that Peter Wallace suffered a broken hand last Saturday night that rules him out of this Sunday’s clash in Canberra, with Sione Katoa named as his starting replacement ahead of Mitch Rein, who has been named in the 21-man squad.

It is hoped Wallace will return next week against St George-Illawarra.

 Penrith look to extend in-form fullback Dylan Edwards’ stay beyond end of 2018. Photo: 77 Media.

have now moved on since Griffin’s arrival little under two years ago - Segeyaro, Soward, Taylor, Latimore, Matagi, Hardaker, Hiku, Grevsmuhl, Smith, Oldfield, Martin and Langi.

In their place is “generation now” who are or have featured recently in the top grade, having graduated from either the 2013 or 2015 Holden Cup winning squads as local juniors / locallyproduced players – Campbell-Gillard, D WateneZelezniak, B Cartwright, Blake, Yeo (2013) and N Cleary, Edwards, Fisher-Harris, Leota, Harawira-Naera, Katoa, May (2015).

Add the likes of Moylan, Wallace and McKendry who all came through the system, while Mansour, Latu and Kikau all made their NRL debuts as Panthers and it’s a long way from 2012 when just five players of the top 25 were locally produced.

Speaking of Reagan Campbell-Gillard, last Saturday night’s monster effort against the Cowboys where he made 230 metres from 19 runs, with a linebreak, two offloads, four tackle-breaks thrown in for good measure to go with the 38 tackles in a nonstop 65-minute effort, will have pleased coach Mal Meninga, who has ear-marked the Fijian international as a contender for a spot in the Kangaroos World Cup squad.

Some mixed news on the injury front with Trent Merrin set to return from injury if not this Sunday against the Raiders (having been named in the 21) then almost certainly the following Sunday against his former club St George-Illawarra at

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The advent of Saturday night free-to-air coverage may have been a factor in the slightly disappointing home crowd for the Cowboys clash, Penrith’s second last for 2017.

Just 12,357 fans attended the must-win clash, down on last year’s 13,725 attendance.

But the match attracted over 249,000 viewers on Fox League and a staggering 320,000 on Channel Nine (more than the previous Sunday’s coverage of the Panthers Tigers home game).

Meanwhile expect Penrith to announce shortly that memberships have gone past 20,000 for the third season in a row, a remarkable achievement for a club that once struggled to get more than 6,000 members a year.

It hasn’t taken long for Fijian winger Maika Sivo (along with fellow wingman Christian Crichton) to stand atop of Penrith’s Intrust Super Premiership tryscoring ladder with nine tries to date.

After Round 17, Crichton and Sivo had scored just three tries between them but the pair have unstoppable in the past five rounds, scoring 15 tries between them.

Neil Henry might be a dead coach walking at the moment with suggestions his sacking as Gold Coast Titans coach is imminent.

But the dust hasn’t even settled yet and already Panthers ISP coach Garth Brennan has been thrown up as a possible contender should the role become vacant as suggested.

Brennan’s no-nonsense approach and his ability to bring players into the top grade whilst consistently getting his sides qualified for the finals since arriving at Penrith in 2012, may suggest he could be what the Gold Coast needs.

See you at the game. #PantherPride

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MG on the mark with MARK GEYER

Let’s see how far we’ve come

 Anthony Griffin: Lots to smile about.

It’s time to go back. Let’s go back to round five of this season. The Panthers had just been beaten by the Melbourne Storm 28 points to 6. Coach Anthony Griffin places a curfew of 10.30pm on his players. Three players break that curfew and are dropped for the following week’s clash against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Pepper Stadium.

The Panthers lose in a nail biter 21-20. They then lose their next 3 games 28-2 against the Sharks, 18-12 against the Eels, then are spanked by the Broncos 3218.

Penrith are 2 wins from 9 games and everyone is blaming the coach for his ‘irrational’ stance for the Panthers shocking start to the season.

“It’s just boys being boys” and “surely just fining the three culprits would have been sufficient?” and “why take the breaking of a curfew out on the entire team, club, supporters and sponsors?” was another.

Griffin stood firm. Penrith are now coming 6th!

It takes great resolve in standing down three players for a minor breach of protocol, especially when two of the players are two of Penrith’s best in Skipper Matt Moylan and Waqa Blake.

But a line had been drawn in the sand from the coach. A line that now is a major reason they sit where they sit on the premiership table. It would have been easy for Griffin to have looked the other way and slapped the trio with a fine, but why do what everyone else wants?

It’s why ‘Hook’ Griffin now has a rugby league team ALL on the same page.

It’s why with three games remaining there is an outside chance of them even

 St Marys u/8’s winners of the Mark Geyer trophy.

making the top 4! Something thought impossible 9 rounds into the comp.

Bravo Anthony Griffin. Lots of your players are receiving much deserved plaudits of late but it was your decision back in round 9 that now has your team buzzing with an infectious brand of footy that most definitely shows they are all well and truly on the same page.

And another thing....

What a buzz I got last Sunday. The annual Mark Geyer trophy for u/8’s was played for the third year at Hickeys lane. A big thank you to Vince, Troy and all the staff from Brothers JRLFC for giving up their valuable time.

Also a massive thanks to all of the referees who helped on the day, your time and patience was noted. 32 teams from right across Sydney took place with St Marys coming up trumps.

Also a special mention to Quakers Hill, St Clair and Windsor who were among the final four teams. But it was this message posted by a mum on Facebook - Eliescha Bazley - that I was alerted to that made my day: “Today at the Mark Geyer Cup, Under 8s .... two little guys who had been playing all morning walked past me and one said to the other “this has to be the best day of my life, how about u?” the other kid nods and says “It is the best day ever, I love footy so much” and off they walked kicking their footy! I have no idea if they had won or lost ..but those little moments make me love it so much!

How bloody good!!! See you at the game.

MG (random Westie) OAM

31 Nepean News 17 August 2017 Issue 207

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