The Long and The Short Of It

ATTENTION: Rugby league fans! The much anticipated 64-player shortlist revealing the possible candidates for coach Wayne Bennett's team - to play in the 2011 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match - has been announced!

Now that Stage One of the selection process is complete, the voting process will be much tougher with fans having to vote for only one player from each club.

“You only have to look at the players who missed out to realise just how competitive the voting process is, " commented NRL Chief Executive, David Gallop.

Don't miss out on making YOUR selection! Stage Two voting opens at Midday AEDT (11:00am Queensland time) January 3rd at www.nrl.com/allstars and closes January 27th.

With results of Stage One finalised, the top 5 voted players are as follows:
1. Nathan Hindmarsh - Parramatta Eels

2. Josh Dugan - Canberra Raiders
3. Sam Burgess* - South Sydney Rabbitohs
4. Todd Carney - Sydney Roosters
5. Jarryd Hayne - Parramatta Eels
* Sam Burgess has been withdrawn from voting due to injury.

To view the complete 64 player shortlist, head to nrl shortlist

Snap-Happy Santa

We all know that Santa Claus is coming to town but what patients at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital didn't know was that Saint Nick would be paying them a special bedside visit - accompanied by his cheery Harvey Norman Photography team!
Organised by the Harvey Norman social club, the visit saw Santa handing out colouring sets to very excited junior patients and posing for photographs with them.
According to Harvey Norman Coffs Harbour computer franchisee Liz Jones, Santa provided the patients with a healthy dose of Christmas cheer.
 "Nurses told us there was a great buzz in the hospital that afternoon, with patients telling their visitors Santa had been to see them."

All Star Attraction

 Parramatta Eels captain Nathan Hindmarsh is leading the pack, thus far, when it comes to attracting the most votes for the NRL All Stars Team. The first player to be selected for the team will be the player who receives the most votes in one position.

After the first stage of voting ends - Tuesday, December 28th - an initial 64 player shortlist comprising two forwards and backs from each club will be announced.

The second stage of voting, commencing January 3, will see the Aussie public selecting one player from each of the 16 NRL clubs.

Does fan favourite Nathan Hindmarsh make your squad?

To vote for your favourite NRL All Star player, head to http://www.nrl.com/repgames/allstarsvoting/tabid/10972/default.aspx before time runs out!

Don't miss out on your tickets for the 2011 Harvey Norman All Stars match, visit http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=ALLSTARS11

Making Waves

Harvey Norman Noarlunga franchisee Anthony Phillips has saved the day for two young lifesavers whose dreams of competing in the upcoming surf lifesaving season were dashed.

South Port nippers Allana Campbell and Taylah Eastwood 's hopes of participating in surf lifesaving events were destroyed when their prized boards were stolen from the Port Noarlunga South clubhouse. Upon reading of Allana and Taylah's plight in the local paper, Anthony generously offered to finance new boards to be made in time for the Port Elliot surf carnival. Looks like surf's up, after all, for the talented twosome!

High Tea for Charity

If you...

a) think that frocking up and sipping champers sounds like a plan

b) are free this Saturday 16th October

c) live in Qld

...then it's time for you to find your fanciest fascinator in readiness for the Allora High Tea at the Races fundraising event!

With fantasic prizes up for grabs as well as fashion on the fields and three race calls for entertainment - this is one day out you won't wanna miss! With contributions from Harvey Norman and NAB and support from local business, the event aims to raise funds for Angel Flight,  Vision Australia and Ovarian Cancer.

The event is $25 per person and will be held at Yettembah, 71 Elphinstone Road, Allora. Bookings are a must - buy tickets from the Allora and Clifton NAB.

Women In League's Local Heroes

Congratulations to the 2010 winners of the Harvey Norman Women In League Achievement Awards (volunteer and paid employee), announced at tonight's fourth annual One Community awards.
Winner of the volunteer award, Sue Fletcher has been involved with Springsure RLFC for 18 years and has been known to travel up to 330km for a club meeting!
Deanne Lee, who took out the paid winner award, started out with the Manly Sea Eagles as a trainer with the junior teams before joining the Admin team in 2001 as Football Operations Manager. Deanne has also played an instrumental role in implementing several community programs for the club.

Vote for Your All Star Cast

Public voting for the 2011 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars launched yesterday, with the nominated players among today's elite Rugby League athletes. This NRL Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars match is only the second of its kind and will once again celebrate the game's best Indigenous and non-Indigenous players in the spirit of harmony and community.

At yesterday's launch, ARL Indigenous Council Chairman, Mr William ‘Smiley’Johnstone, commented that the Australian public had passionately embraced the 2010 inaugural All Stars match to make it "one of the most innovative and celebrated events in Rugby League’s history and the only representative match in Australian sport where the public picks the teams".

Notably, the second All Stars match will be played at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast on the eve of the third anniversary of the Government’s National Apology to the Stolen Generations - February 12, 2011.

Ready to celebrate the diversity of Rugby League and cast your vote? Well, what are you waiting for? Head to http://www.nrl.com/repgames/allstarsvoting/tabid/10972/default.aspx to play your part as both fan and selector!