Following a stunning 12-7 victory over previously unbeaten Drummoyne Devils on Saturday, the Lions got up to beat Cronulla Sharks 9-7 yesterday.

Saturday saw the return to the NWPL of former Australian captain and Olympian Nathan Thomas but he wasn’t needed against the Sharks.

The normally top-dwelling Lions have had an erratic start to the season with two draws and only one win from five matches before the weekend.

The confidence-boosting win over Drummoyne has now set the team on target for yet another finals series.

The Lions women were not so lucky with Cronulla winning 8-6 with international Alicia McCormack back from Europe and keeping excellently in goal for the winners.

Fiona Hammond did her best for the Lions with five goals but it wasn’t enough.

In Brisbane, the Brisbane Barracudas collected a double over Perth’s UWA club, the men winning 8-3 after trailing 3-1 and the women succeeding 14-4 with international Jane Moran (pictured) on fire with six goals.

Fremantle Mariners headed off Balmain Tigers men 10-8 and Fremantle Marlins women waited until the last eight seconds to beat Balmain 8-7 after losing the first encounter between the two, also by a goal.

Athens Olympian Belinda Brooks scored the winner.

Results:
Men:
In Brisbane: Brisbane Barracudas 8 (D Young 2, R Howden, K Smoker, D Gynther, BJ Howden, A Yeates, D Hicks) UWA Torpedoes 3 (L Quinlivan, H Brown, J Balczer).
In Sydney: Fremantle Mariners 10 (M Ainsworth 3, J Beadsworth, A Younger, D Lawrence 2, T Seress) Balmain Tigers 8 (C Dyson, J Falzon 2, I Calpin, C Wright, J Davis, M Lazic), Sydney University Lions 9 (B Turner 3, T Franklin, A Visch 2, T Woudwyk, L Hollis) Cronulla Sharks 7 (B Ient, T Brown 2, M Timilty, C Rourke, R Tracy).
Women:
In Brisbane: Brisbane Barracudas 14 (J Moran 6, G Wikman, M Rippon 3, S Smith, H Robinson) UWA Comets 4 (S Welch 2, C Ainsworth, A Anderson).
In Sydney: Fremantle Marlins 8 (S Wheelock, E Neesham, G Ralph 2, B Brooks, Z Arancini) Balmain Tigers 7 (B Smith 4, L Higlett, R Rippon, L Varlow), Cronulla Sharks 8 (N Zagame 4, H Lincoln-Smith, B Appel 2) Sydney University Lions 6 (F Hammond 5, L Horan).


Hurricanes captain's effort not enough against Balmain
Sydney (February 10).— 
A superb captain’s effort of five goals by Phil Reid was not enough for Hunter Hurricanes to upset Balmain Tigers in men’s National Water Polo League action at Ryde Aquatic Centre yesterday.

Balmain twice had three-goal margins before Hunter levelled the game at seven and eight before Balmain pulled away for an 11-9 win.

The game was poised at 8-all with six minutes remaining but United States import Ross Sinclair, who scored three goals, gave up a penalty foul, allowing Nick Falzon to send Balmain ahead and on to victory.

Balmain’s women had an easier time, beating the Hurricanes 17-4 with eight Tigers making the scoresheet.

Both teams had beaten reigning champions Fremantle Marlins by a goal during the week.

In Brisbane, men’s champion KFC Queensland Breakers extended their record to seven wins and a draw with an 11-4 defeat of Perth’s UWA Torpedoes with senior international Billy Miller topping the scoring with three goals.

The Breakers women were not so lucky, going down 13-12 to UWA Comets.

The Breakers had a three-goal margin in the second quarter but, despite levelling the game three times in the third period, relinquished the lead by the final break.

With five minutes remaining, the Breakers were 11-10 up but the Comets rocketed to a 13-10 lead, only ceding a goal 13 seconds from time.

Comet’s USA import Megan Hausmann, a quiet figure this season, exploded with six goals, including three in the final period.

Results:
In Brisbane: KFC Queensland Breakers 11 (B Miller 3, T Jenkins, A Martin 2, D Will, C Corbin, J Votan, L Cranley) UWA Torpedoes 4 (B Mercer 2, J Balczer, T Jasper).
In Sydney: Balmain Tigers 11 (C Dyson 3, N Falzon, C Wright, G Woods 2, M Lazic, J Falzon) Hunter Hurricanes 9 (P Reid 5, R Sinclair 3, J Johnston).
Women:
In Brisbane: UWA Comets 13 (M Hausmann 6, C Ainsworth 3, J Dessauvagie, C Pierce, Z Hadley, J Sanders) KFC Queensland Breakers 12 (S Horgan, A Richardson 3, K Miller, E Bowden 2, A Moore, J Taylor).
In Sydney: Balmain Tigers 17 (L Higlett, L Simms, B Smith 3, L Varlow, N Saville, A Bower 2, Y Schmid, E Barnes) Hunter Hurricanes 4 (C Ellis, N McJannett, B Russell, A Hatcher).

35-goal fest as Mariners down Balmain men
Sydney (February 9).—
It was like pirates plundering a ship as Fremantle Mariners and Balmain Tigers went on a scoring fest at Abbotsleigh Pool here last night.

An incredible 35 goals were thrown in the Mariners’ 23-12 victory, one of the highest scores in National Water Polo League history.

Aussie Shark Jamie Beadsworth helped himself the most with seven goals in the first three periods.
Team-mate Daniel Lawrence, a junior international, jagged six with five in the second half.

The Mariners led 8-5 at halftime before settling into a fast scoring rhythm in a game that never seemed to want to end.

Balmain’s women pipped reigning champions Fremantle Marlins 6-5 even though Balmain was without the services of Olympic champion Taryn Woods, last year’s NWPL MVP.

Balmain trailed 5-4 at the final break as the teams traded goals in the final three seconds of the third period.

Drummoyne Devils stretched their unbeaten run to six matches with a 13-6 win over Cronulla Sharks men.

Devils’ 2000 Olympian Sean Boyd and Cronulla captain Rydr Tracy were both ejected on misconduct fouls.

In Brisbane, Perth’s UWA Torpedoes gained an 8-5 decision over Brisbane Barracudas while the Barracudas women headed off the UWA Comets 10-7.

In Adelaide, China women eclipsed Adelaide Jets 19-5.

Results:
Men:
In Brisbane: UWA Torpedoes 8 (B Mercer, J Balczer 2, L Swanson, B McCleery, R Whaitiri, T Jasper) Brisbane Barracudas 5 (BJ Howden 2, D Gynther, D Young, B Edwards).
In Sydney: Drummoyne Devils 13 (T Martin, I Bosnic 3, S Avallone, S Boyd 2, J Miller, A Roach, G Richardson) Cronulla Sharks 6 (T Brown 3, C Batty 2, S Mackenzie), Fremantle Mariners 23 (J Beadsworth 7, D Lawrence 6, J Swift, A Younger 2, A Richardson, T Seress, J Neesham, A Lee, J Dodd, S Chrystal) Balmain Tigers 12 (G Woods 3, I Calpin, C Wright, J Falzon 2, N Falzon, M Stewart, J Davis).
Women:
In Brisbane: Brisbane Barracudas 10 (K Gynther 3, K Bryce, A Russell 2, H Robinson, E Keogh, JL Lewis) UWA Comets 7 (Z Hadley 3, J Dessauvagie 2, C Ainsworth, S Welch).
In Sydney: Balmain Tigers 6 (L Higlett, L Varlow 2, B Smith, A Bower) Fremantle Marlins 5 (G Ralph 3, B Brooks 2).
In Adelaide: China 19 (Zhu Jiayi 4, Sun Yating 3, Teng Fei, Qiao Leiying 2, Sun Yujun, He Jin, Mo Fengmin, Gao Ao, Wang Yi) Adelaide Jets 5 (J Martin, L Callahan 2, S Ricketts).


Younger penalty goal gifts Mariners a win over Wests
Sydney (February 8).—
Rising star Aaron Younger helped four-time champions Fremantle Mariners crash over the line against Wests Magpies in National Water Polo League action at Ashfield Pool here last night.

It took a penalty shot by the gifted 16-year-old, who is one of the country’s best prospects with Olympian written all over him, to secure the victory with just 19 seconds remaining in the game.

The Mariners were champions two years ago but fell out of the medals for the first time in 11 years last summer and have looked shaky at times this year, losing to Victorian Tigers in Perth last weekend.

Wests’ Ross O’Brien gave up the penalty foul that allowed Younger to push Fremantle over the line in a game where Wests led 6-4 at the final break.

In Brisbane, KFC Breakers men trounced Perth’s UWA Torpedoes 18-4 but the UWA Comets women were always in control of their encounter, winning 14-10.

Results:
Men:
In Brisbane: KFC Queensland Breakers 18 (T Jenkins, A Martin 3, D Marsden, B Miller, D Will, C Corbin, J McDonald 2, S Robertson, G Griffith) UWA Torpedoes 4 (J Balczer 2, L Swanson, T Jasper).
In Sydney: Fremantle Mariners 8 (J Beadsworth, J Neesham, A Younger 2, A Richardson, S Kovalenko) Wests Magpies 7 (B Krasznai 3, R O’Brien 2, T Delany, D Swinnerton).
Women:
In Brisbane: UWA Comets 14 (J Dessauvagie 6, M Hausmann 4, S Welch 2, C Ainsworth, Z Hadley) KFC Queensland Breakers 10 (S Horgan 3, A Richardson, E Bowden, J Collins 2, K Miller).

Marlins turn tables on Hunter Hurricanes
Newcastle (February 7).—
In the biggest turnaround of the season, Fremantle Marlins went from losing by a goal to Hunter Hurricanes one night to thrashing them by 10 the next at Lambton Pool here last night.

Playing in the National Water Polo League, Glencora Ralph led the champion Marlins’ charge with six goals and in the process arrested a three-game losing streak that included a double loss to Victorian Tigers.

The Perth team shot to a 4-2 lead in the first quarter and restricted Hunter to one goal in each of the other periods.

In the men’s encounter, Fremantle Mariners had to work to shrug off the Hurricanes 13-11.

Hunter’s two United States imports, Ross Sinclair and Justin Johnston, who were ejected from the previous night’s game, combined to score seven of the goals but Fremantle controlled the match for much of the second half.

Results:
Men:
In Newcastle: Fremantle Mariners 13 (J Beadsworth 4, T Seress, J Swift 3, A Younger 2, A Richardson) Hunter Hurricanes 11 (R Sinclair 4, J Johnston 3, S Berry 2, M Baird, P Reid).
Women:
In Newcastle: Fremantle Marlins 15 (G Ralph 6, E Neesham 3, S Wheelock, Z Arancini 2, C Read, R Flint) Hunter Hurricanes 5 (A Hatcher 2, E Goodwin, C Ellis, C McConville).

Marlins coach one of four ejected in Newcastle
Newcastle (February 6).—
A small team just got smaller in the National Water Polo League. Women’s defending champion Fremantle Marlins will play their next game with no coach after former world champion Wendy Arancini was red-carded from last night’s 10-9 loss to Hunter Hurricanes at Lambton Pool.

The red card earns a one-match suspension and she will be missing from the team bench return match this evening with an already under-manned squad.

Fremantle is without four of its international stars with two playing overseas with the national team and two others not travelling on the eastern road trip.

Arancini was sent from the pool deck for her second infraction, earning the automatic suspension.

She followed one of her players, Leah Neilsen, who was sent for misconduct in the second period.

USC Davis import Brittany Russell upset the rudderless Marlins with the two winning goals for her team’s first win of the season.

The men’s match was also fraught with backchat with two Hunter players ejected for misconduct —Ross Sinclair and Justin Johnston.

Fremantle Mariners emerged 14-7 victors with Hungarian Tibor Seress topping the scorers with four for the winners.

Results:
Men:
In Newcastle: Fremantle Mariners 14 (T Seress 4, J Beadsworth, A Younger 3, J Swift 2, A Richardson, D Lawrence) Hunter Hurricanes 7 (N Campbell, P Reid 2, M Baird, N Bartlett, S Bryant).
Women:
In Newcastle: Hunter Hurricanes 10 (B Russell 4, N McJannet 3, C Ellis, J Bendeich, C Ta’avale) Fremantle Marlins 9 (Z Arancini 3, G Ralph 2, S Wheelock, E Neesham, L Neilsen, R Flint).