HUNTER Valley took a stranglehold on the NSW CHS Boys’ Water Polo Carnival with three more wins in Tamworth’s South and West War Memorial Pool, Scully Park yesterday.
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The Mark Davy-coached side followed up first-day wins against Sydney West (8-2) and North Coast (13-2) with victories over the previously unbeaten Sydney North (5-1), Riverina (12-4) and Sydney East (8-3) to remain unbeaten.
They play Sydney South West and hosts North West in final-round games today before entering semi-finals tomorrow morning.
Hunter has amassed 15 points from five wins and heads the points table at the end of Day 2.
Today, its semi-final opponents will be decided, with most teams finishing with two games.
Host North West is out of contention after one win and four losses (with a game to be played against Riverina last night).
North West, managed by Wee Waa’s Sharon Grellman and coached by Ron Surtees, started its second day of competition with a good first quarter against North Coast yesterday.
However, the Mark Edwards-coached North Coast side then blew the inexperienced North West side away, winning 11-2.
“That was the best we’ve played so far,” Edwards said.
“We won fairly convincingly with some very good long shots.”
He said the side has three games today against Riverina, Sydney West and Sydney East.
“The game against Sydney West will be a crunch game – decide whether we play in the semis or not,” Edwards said.
Surtees said North West’s disappointing nine-goal loss to North Coast was as much to do with their lack of hard match play as their inexperience.
“We just don’t play enough,” Surtees said.
“Four or five don’t even play in the Friday night men’s comp.
“Still, North Coast showed how good they can be and had some good long shots.”
An 8-7 loss to to Sydney West followed in mid-afternoon for North West.
“That was a much better performance,” Surtees said.
“They talked to each other, communicated. And with it, they got confident.”
Jack Pickering scored three goals and Jackson Sharpe two with Lucas Buckley and Harrison Clinch also netting.
“Sydney West got a big shock,” Grellman said.
“We played a lot more solid in defence, communicated a lot better and came back from the disappointment of that first game.
“They picked themselves up.”
North West had a late game against Riverina yesterday as a curtainraiser to the exhibition match being played between sides captained by Olympians Craig Miller and Daniel Marsden.
North West plays two final round games against Sydney East and unbeaten Hunter today.
