Go the mighty Magpies! Come on United! NRRRL Grand Final today

Footy fever hits the Northern Rivers as its rugby league grand final gets underway and kicks off with welcome to country by Yaegl elder Mrs. Lillian Williams at 10.45am in the Maclean Showground.
Then on to the Under 18s Ballina v Kyogle followed by Reserve Grade Mullumbimby v Evans Head and finally to the match everyone has been waiting for Lower Clarence Magpies v Northern United.

Lower Clarence Magpies

Northern United

Click on photos to enlarge
Pics from The Daily Examiner on 19th September 2009

UPDATE: The Mighty Magpies are now the 2009 Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League Grand Final Champions with a 21-20 win over Northern United.
Well done to all players on both sides! It was a close game well played to a tight finish.
Evans Head (24-22) and Ballina (36-12) were the winners in their divisions.

11-year-old girl tells Sydney Morning Herald tipsters Phil Gould, Roy Masters and Greg Prichard to eat their hearts out

11-year-old Chloe Lawrence has won the Illawarra Mercury's Footy Tipping Comp this a year.

Chloe's tipping, which netted her 141 points for the season, was so convincing she would have easily beaten The Sydney Morning Herald tipsters Phil Gould, Roy Masters and Greg Prichard.

Last year Chloe's seven-year-old brother, Daniel Moro, was the paper's top tipster.

The Mercury reports that Chloe and Daniel, who both won $3000, left thousands of experienced adult tipsters and bona fide footy experts in their wake. Their success has stumped their mother, Amy Taylor. But, according to Chloe there is method to her choices.

She avoids the Roosters and the Sharks and otherwise opts for teams based largely on home ground advantage and sidelined stars.

"I say, 'Who's out? Who's not playing? Who's at home?"' Chloe said.

"I don't like the Roosters. If Manly or Storm are at home I'll pick them because I like them."

Chloe plans to spend some of her winnings on her first mobile phone and will also donate a portion of the money to the Cancer Council in memory of her grandfather, who succumbed to cancer in recent years.

The remainder will be placed in a savings account.

For the record, Chloe predicts a Sea Eagles versus Dragons grand final, with the latter to win by about six points.

pic from The Illawarra Mercury

A bad case of the blues