Courtney Ward is joined by David Hall to breakdown how all nine Group Seven Rugby League sides are shaping up for the 2020 season, while also making their fearless predictions - including the Michael Cronin Medallist, recruit of the season and premiership winner.

Wide Ward of Sports

Group Seven Rugby League 2020 season preview

Born with cerebral palsy, Callala Bay's Ben Atkins endured a tough time growing up - that was until he found the sport of football and more specifically, the Pararoos. Since making his debut 2008 against Canada, the Shoalhaven High School alumnus has gone on to play for the Pararoos on 70 occasions, which includes three World Cup appearances. Ahead of his team's historic clash with Canada - the first time the Pararoos have played on home soil in 19 years - Courtney Ward caught up with the 28-year-old to chat up the high and lows of his inspiring career.

Ben Atkins (Football)

On this week's podcast, Courtney Ward catches up with Shoalhaven basketball legend Phil Lynch. Lynch started playing hoops in 1961 at Nowra High School and HMAS Albatross prior to the Tigers Den being built. This is where his love for the game started, which saw him go on and represent Shoalhaven, Newcastle, NSW and eventually Australia. After ending his playing career back where it all started, in the Shoalhaven, Lynch transitioned into a media career. This eventually saw him move to Canberra to work on the radio but also commentate sport, predominantly basketball. Being so good at what he did, Lynch had the opportunity to commentate at four Olympic Games, three FIBA World Championships and two Commonwealth Games. The now 70-year-old also had a big role in setting up the Bernie Regan Memorial Sporting Trust - which has donated more than $370,000 to junior Shoalhaven athletes over the past 34 years. So tune in to hear the pair's in-depth chat about Lynch's amazing career. 

Phil Lynch (basketball)

The 2019 Group Seven Rugby League season will culminate with its exciting grand final day at the Collegians Sporting Complex on Sunday, September 15. The day will start with the WLT2 clash between Shellharbour and Jamberoo at 8.30am, before the WLT1 at 9.50am (Kiama and Jamberoo), third grade at 11.15am (Mount Warrigal and Susex Inlet), under 18s at 12.50pm (Warilla-Lake South and Albion Park-Oak Flats) and reserve grade at 2.15pm (Albion Park-Oak Flats and Gerringong) - with the main event, the first grade fixture between Jamberoo and Kiama, from 4pm. So tune in as Courtney Ward and David Hall break down where all six grand finals will be won and lost and who the pair both think will prevail on the day.

2019 Group Seven Rugby League grand final day preview

Courtney Ward is joined by Group Seven guru David Hall to discuss all the high and lows of the 2019 rugby league season. The pair name their respective teams of the year, while also predicting how the semi-finals will play out, ahead of the grand final at the Collegians Sporting Complex on Sunday, September 15. The duo also break down the five other grades of Group Seven Rugby League, while also looking into their crystal ball and anticipate who is going to make the big dance in those respective divisions.

Group Seven Rugby League 2019 season review

WHEN news first broke 282-game NRL veteran Luke Patten was going to lace the boots up in Group Seven, the whole of the South Coast competition was a buzz. After stints with the Illawarra Steelers, St George Illawarra Dragons, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Salford City Dragons and NRL video referees, Patten signed on to play with the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles in 2019. Hear all about his incredible journey in rugby league, during his in-depth chat with Courtney Ward.

Luke Patten (rugby league)

AFTER a couple of week's hiatus, the podcast returns with a bang, as Courtney Ward catches up with the newest Australian Boomer Xavier Cooks. Cooks started his hoops journey with the Illawarra Hawks before heading to the United States to follow his college dream with Winthrop. On the back of four successful season with the Eagles, Cooks took his talents to European, signing with German club Oliver Wurzburg - where he played one season before penning a deal with French side Strasbourg. All these accomplishments, mixed in with NBA Summer League stints with the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, put Cooks on the basketball map and helped him get invited into the recent Boomers camp. As he always does, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands and now he is off to China for the World Cup with Andrej Lemanis' Australian team. Hear all about his incredible journey in his in-depth chat with Courtney Ward.

Xavier Cooks (basketball)

After first starting swimming at a young age, with her two brothers Glenn and Andrew in Nowra, Karen Higgison (nee Phillips) had no idea what the sport would give her over the next two decades. Karen would go on to claim a silver medal at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, before also winning two medals at the 1986 Commonwealth Games at Edinburgh. But before she turned 21, Karen decided to give the sport away. She would eventually return and add a number of World Masters Games medal to her collection, while also be the proud mother of Ocean6 Series ironperson Kirsty Higgison. Hear all about her journey in the pool in her in-depth chat with Courtney Ward. 

Karen Higgison (nee Phillips) (swimming)

 AFTER starting to run, as a way to escape school bullies at the age of 11, Nowra's Paul Greene went on to reach the pinnacle as a track sprinter.   His track and field resume includes two Commonwealth Games, one junior World Championships (which saw him claim bronze medal at Plovdiv in 1990), two World Championships, a World Indoors, World Cup and World University Games - before his career culminated at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Since then, Greene has moved into the music industry, where he has released numerous albums, both as a solo artist but also with his band Ghostwriters - while also spending time with drummer Rob Hirst (Midnight Oil) and bassist Rick Grossman (ex-Hoodoo Gurus). His career has now come full circle as he now has returned to the athletics scene, helping coach some of Shoalhaven's up and coming  track stars, including his daughters. Hear all about his amazing journey, both in sport but also in music, in his in-depth one-on-one chat with Courtney Ward. 

Paul Greene (athletics)

KEZIE Apps has come a long way since beginning her rugby league career with the Bega Roosters after wanting to follow in the footsteps of her older brothers Deon and Ryan. But after playing her junior footy with now Melbourne Storm star Dale Finucane, she was forced to stop playing at the age of 12, due to there being no competition for her - which saw Apps start playing hockey. After numerous years away from the sport she loved, she returned to the field in 2014 when she joined the Helensburgh Tiger Lillies. This year proved to be a breakout year for the South Coast product, as she made both her NSW Blues and Jillaroos debut - as well as being named Illawarra Women's Player of the Year and the NSWRL Women's Player of the Year. Since then, she has played in the women's NRL All Stars team, won Dally M Player of the Year, won a World Cup with the Jillaroos and became one of St George Illawarra's three inaugural marquee signings for the NRL women's competition.  Hear all about the 28-year-old's journey to be one of the top women's rugby league players in the world in her one-on-one chat with Courtney Ward.

Kezie Apps (rugby league)

FROM the age of two, when she first started surf lifesaving at the Mollymook SLSC, Melissa Cracroft-Wilson (nee Howard) was destined for greatness on the sand. During her Surf Lifesaving Australia Hall of Fame career on the sand, Cracroft-Wilson went on to win an incredible 10 Australian open women's beach flags titles and five world championships, which saw her compete in countries such as the Netherlands and Egypt - all before she stepped away from the sport in 2016. After the birth of her first child Mia, Cracroft-Wilson has now returned to the surf scene as a coach with Kurrawa, where she is helping to develop the next wave of flags champions - something she is loving every second of. Hear all about her incredible journey with her in-depth chat with Courtney Ward.

Melissa Cracroft-Wilson (nee Howard) (surf lifesaving)

After long being earmarked for big things in the cricket arena, Ulladulla's Matthew Gilkes is finally getting the opportunities he deserves. Following his junior career at Ulladulla United and in the Shoalhaven District Junior Cricket Association system, Gilkes moved to ACT and joined Western District and University of Canberra Cricket Club. Three strong seasons in the nation's capital acted as the perfect springboard for him moving to the NSW Premier Cricket competition in Sydney with UNSW for the 2017/18 season. Despite an up and down debut season with the Bumble Bees, which included his maiden Sydney first grade century, he hit the ground running in year two - which was a real breakout year for the former Ulladulla High School student. Strong performances for UNSW and ACT/NSW Country in the Futures League saw him handed his Big Bash debut with the Sydney Thunder. Then just last week, he was handed a NSW Blues rookie contract - something his has always dreamed about. Hear all about his amazing journey in his in-depth chat with Courtney Ward. 

Matthew Gilkes (cricket)

WHEN you have a dream stuck in your head, you'll sacrifice whatever it takes to achieve it. This is non more applicable than to Callala product Blake Horton, who has just returned to the Shoalhaven following four years of playing football professionally in Europe. After starting to play at the age of just four, because he wanted to emulate his older brother, Horton quickly fell in love with the game and developed a natural talent as a goalkeeper. Since then, after stops at Culburra, Bomaderry, Southern Branch, Port Kembla and Rockdale City, the former Nowra Christian School student chased his football dream overseas - which led to him playing at FC Chabab in the Hoofdklasse, SC Telstar in the Jupiler League and finally OFC Oostzaan in East Amsterdam Derde Divisie. While abroad, largely based in the Netherlands, Horton would travel five hours a day just to train, in a country where English wasn't the first language. But despite all this, as well as numerous injury concerns, Horton wouldn't have changed his experience overseas at all - which has led to him now playing for Coniston in the Illawarra. Hear all about his amazing journey below, in his in-depth chat with Courtney Ward.

Blake Horton (football)

Ali Day has come a long way in the sport of surf lifesaving since starting at the Kiama SLSC at the age of eight. After a number of seasons at Kiama, he moved to Warilla-Barrack Point to help take his career to the next level. But all didn't go to plan for the now two-time Ocean6 Series ironman champion, who nearly threw it all in at the age of 15. Thankfully he didn't. As he is now the all-time Coolangatta Gold wins leader, with six to his name - not to mention countless podium finishes in the Ocean6 Series and national and state medals. Hear all about these and what's next for the 29-year-old his in depth chat with Courtney Ward.

Ali Day (surf lifesaving)

Not many men have had the honour of representing both the Kangaroos and Wallabies on the world stage - 48 to be exact. And to have one of those dual internationals, in Andrew Walker, originate from the Shoalhaven is very special. So on this week's Wide Ward of Sports chat, Courtney Ward and the now 45-year-old Walker chat about his journey from playing rugby union with the Shoalhaven Rugby Club and rugby league with the Bomaderry Swamprats to playing playing in both the NRL and Super Rugby competitions - which lead to him representing his country on eight different occasions.  We also discuss all the high and lows of his career and what's the next chapter in Andrew Walker's life. 

Andrew Walker (rugby union/rugby league)

Join South Coast Register sports editor Courtney Ward as he chats one-on-one with the top athletes from across the Shoalhaven and South Coast. During his in-depth discussions, he pulls back the covers on how they started their careers, what makes them tick and what's next on their sporting horizons.

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Wide Ward of Sports

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