News
David Abood makes clean-sweep in 2010 State of Origin Appointments
David Abood has continued to prove himself as the equal best Sideline Official in the NRL by being appointed to all three of the recent State of Origin games.
David, with fellow Sideline Official Paul Holland and Referees Tony Archer and Shayne Hayne, was appointed to all three State of Origin games and performed exceptionally well. The appointment to these fixtures is a credit to David and is a prime example for junior referees of what continued hard work and determination can result in.
Congratulations to David on an outstanding season thus far.
Adam Gee makes NRL Debut
Adam Gee has been elevated to NRL, making his debut recently in Auckland as a Sideline Official. After a number of successful years in the NSW Premier Squad and more recently the NRL Squad, Adam debuted on Saturday 15th May at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland in the NZ Warriors and North Queensland Cowboys fixture. Adam performed admirably and has taken the next big step in his refereeing career.
Congratulations to Adam on this fine achievement.
Pre-Season Seminar
The Association has kicked off the new season with a very informative and beneficial seminar having been conducted on Sunday 28th February.
The program for the day was very comprehensive, and covered the topics of judiciary, rulings, administration, training and development, control and positioning. We were also very fortunate to have NRL Referee Jason Robinson give a talk on his career as a referee, as well as learn from him what is required in order to make it at the top of the game.
Members in attendance were also issued with their new on-field gear for the 2010 season, with the Association adopting the pink solid-colour jerseys.
The Committee would like to extend thanks to Jason Robinson for giving up his time to attend, as well as Gavin Beecroft and Lionel Brown for organising the day.
2010 Annual General Meeting
On the 18th of February, the Association held its Annual General Meeting for the 2010 season. The AGM this year was a significant event as it saw the Association's longest serving President, Mr Paul Archer, elect not to stand for the position after having served for the longest period of time of any President to date.
The election results from the meeting for Committee positions were:
- President: John McCormack
- Vice-President: Chris Cafarelli
- Secretary: Mario Cafarelli
- Treasurer: Brad Zarb
- Assistant Secretary: Warren Gee
- Social Secretary: Gavin Beecroft
- Committee Member: Lionel Brown
- Committee Member: Adam Gee
NRL and NSW Grand Final Appointments for Canterbury Members
Congratulations to the following members on their respective appointments to NSW, Toyota Cup and NRL Grand Final games this weekend:
- David Abood: NRL Sideline Official
- Richard Daizli: Toyota Cup Sideline Official
- Mat Damaso: Toyota Cup Stand-By Sideline Official
- Adam Gee: VB NSW Cup Referee
- Jimmy Oliveria: Arrive Alive Cup Sideline Official
All of our graded members have worked very hard this season and this is a just reward for their own individual efforts.
The Association also extends a special congratulations to David Abood, who is doing not only his first NRL Grand Final but it will double as his 200th First Grade game. This is an outstanding achievement for David and we wish him and all our members great success this weekend.
Vale Michael Chahoud
It's with deep regret that I must inform you of the passing of one of our long serving members, Michael Chahoud.
Michael passed away on Thursday 1st October after a long battle with cancer. Michael was a proud and loyal member within this association and will be sadly missed. The association committee and members would like to send their condolences to his family at this sad time.
Michael's funeral will be held on Saturday 3rd October at St Joespeh's Catholic Church Belmore, commencing at 10:00am.
2009 District Season Concludes
The 2009 CBDJRL competition came to a close on the last weekend of August with the Grand Final series taking place at the Crest Stadium on the Saturday and Hammnodville Oval on the Sunday.
The weather across the weekend was perfect for finals footy, with a number of close and exciting games played. There were some excellent performances by the referees as well. Once again, the A Grade competition this year was close and in the end it was Reg Marks who took out the top spot.
The final general meeting was held the week following the Grand Finals, this meeting being the Leo Randle Meeting. An astounding number of members were in attendance for the meeting at which our current and longest serving President, Mr Paul Archer, advised the membership that he will not be seeking re-election at the 2010 AGM. At the conclusion of the meeting the members enjoyed a special convivial meal and looked back on what was the 2009 district season.
With some of our members in the NSW and NRL squads still officiating we wish them the best for their appointments in the upcoming NSW and NRL finals series.
2009 Interstate Referee Exchange Program
The 2009 Interstate Referee Exchange Program has been a great success. This year we once again conducted our exchange program with West Australia and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
In mid-July, John Gorzanelli and Robert Dubois travelled to Perth where both members refereed A-Reserve competition games, amongst others across the weekend. On this same weekend, Brandon Burgess and his chaperone in Paul Beasant ventured to Canterbury from the Sunshine Coast. Brandon showed a great deal of talent on the field and was a credit to his Association as he managed to impress not only the Canterbury Advisory Board but also our local clubs.
In late July, it then became Scott Butler's turn to visit the Sunshine Coast with chaperone John McCormack. Scott refereed a number of games across the weekend and showed our Queensland counterparts some of the talent we have here in Canterbury.
John, Robert and Scott were all worthy recipients of this opportunity and conducted themsleves in the professional manner that Canterbury is renowned for. All three members were very grateful for the chance to experience being a part of the game in a very different setting, and we look forward to a continued successful exchange program in the future.
Congratulations David Abood
Congratulations to David Abood on his appointment as a Sideline Official for Game 3 of the 2009 State of Origin Series.
David has been a graded official with the NSWRLRA and NRL for 14 years and has worked hard to get to the top and achieve this outstanding appointment. David continues to set a fine example to younger referees of what hard work and commitment will achieve in this game and we commend his recent achievements in the game.
Game Three of the State of Origin is on the 15th of July at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
State of Origin II Appointments
Congratulations to Mat Damaso and David Abood on their respective appointments to State of Origin II in Sydney.
Mat has been appointed as a Touch Judge for the U/18's NSW vs Qld game whilst David has been appointed as the Stand-By Sideline Official for the main game. Both members have worked very hard to receive these prestigous appointments and we look forward to their continued success in the future.
2009 Blue and White Cabaret
Sunday the 7th of June saw the Association host its' premier event, The Blue and White Cabaret, at the Canterbury Leagues Club.
The evening commenced with drinks and canapes in the Terrace Bar where members, their partners and guests mingled before heading into the Blueberry Hill Room where the formalities commenced. The Association President, Paul Archer, welcomed our guests which included Peter and Julie Winchester (Sponsor - Canterbury League Club), Paul and Yvette Hasarati (Sponsor - Ronnies Demolition and Excavation), Brian Tovey (CBDJRL President), Glenn and Bronwyn Jackson (NSWRLRA), Frank and Marie Leonard (NSWRLRA) and Greg and Carolyn McCallum (NSWRLRA) and representatives from various distrcit Associations.
The formal proceedings saw two highly esteemed members recognised for their achievements at a higher level of the game. Adam Gee and David Abood both had successful seasons last year, with Adam controlling the NSW vs Qld u/16 State of Origin and the Jim Beam Cup Grand Final, whilst David officiated as sideline official during the NRL Final Series and later in the World Cup Series. Both members received momentos for the occasion from the association.
The night was a rousing success for Social Secretary Gavin Beecroft and his Social Committee of Chris Cafarelli, Adam Gee and Feras Karem. There was plenty of eating, drinking and dancing and a fantastic night was had by all.
(Look under the Photo Albums link for pictures from the night)
Test Match Appointment for David Abood
Congratulations to the association's Vice-President, David Abood, on his appointment as the Stand-By Sideline Official for the Trans-Tasman Test between Australia and New Zealand on Friday, 8th of May at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. This is a well deserved appointment for David and we look forward to his further success in the game.
The 2005 season finished on a high note with Adam Gee controlling his second A grade grand final. See the Albums section for all the 2005 grand final referees. Adam received the Clubb-Johnson Trophy for his efforts. The Farrelly-Dick Trophy, for the most improved referee, went to Greg Fuller and former President Bob Styles was honoured with the presentation of the Leo Randle Award for continued and dedicated service to the association. The Junior League's new referee's award went to Reg Marks. The award is an annual Appreciation Award and is presented by the clubs to one of our members.
There are a number of social events scheduled for the off-season. These include the Golf Day on 30th October, Kids Picnic on 6th November and Rossini's Lunch on 10th December. We are also planning a Cricket Day for Sunday 5th February. Members will be updated when the details are finalised.
Over 150 members and guests enjoyed a night of dining and dancing at the association's Annual Blue & White Cabaret last Sunday evening, 12th June.
Representatives from our sponsors, CANTERBURY LEAGUES and ROSSINI CAFE & RESTAURANT were entertained by the members, as well as many kindred associations.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of Life Membership to two long serving and hard working members.
Lionel Brown humbly accepted the accolades and wore the blazer with pride. Pauline Brown followed with a revealing and amusing speech about Lionel's unusual preparation routine.
Kim Archer made Australian history when she became the first woman to receive Life Membership of a Rugby League Referees' Association in Sydney. Kim's dedication to, and love of, rugby league has been rewarded with a well deserved honour.
The evening concluded with a few sore heads heading for the exits. It seems many members take advantage of the Monday holiday to let their hair down and forget about the footy for just one night (maybe).
Congratulations must be extended to Glen Jeffcoat and the social committee for an excellent evening. We look forward to 2006.
The association recently ran a one day Preliminary course for new candidates wishing to becoming referees. The course was packed with information and the nine candidates present all gained an immense amount of knowledge from the Coaching staff. Further courses are planned during the season. If you are interested in becoming a referee, please contact the secretary@cbra.com.au for more details.
AGM
The Association's Annual General Meeting was held on Thursday 17th February in the Canterbury League Club, Belmore.
The chairman welcomed guests to the meeting, which included Mr. Bradley Clyde, Football Club Manager, Mr. Roger Harborne, President of the Junior League, Mr. Paul Tycehurst, Junior League CEO and Mr. Les Matthews, CEO of the NSWRLRA.
ELECTION RESULTS
Mr. Paul Archer was re-elected, unopposed, as President for 2005. Mr. Chris Bettiol did not seek re-election as Secretary and Mr. Mario Cafarelli was elected to the position. Mr. Bettiol's contribution to the association during the last two years was acknowledged by the chairman and was carried by acclamation.
Other officer bearers were elected as follows:
Vice President, Mr. David Abood.
Treasurer, Mr. John McCormack.
Assistant Secretary, Mr. Warren Gee.
Social Secretary, Mr. Glen Jeffcoat.
Committee Members, Mr. Richard Daizli and Mr. Lionel Brown.
LIFE MEMBERSHIP
Life members for Season 2005 were announced and the honour was bestowed on Mrs. Kim Archer and Mr. Lionel Brown. Both members were humbled by the honour and responded with suitable speeches. Their selection was unanimously endorsed by the members.
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the association will be the first General Meeting, on 17th March 2005. General Meetings will follow, fortnightly, throughout the season.
