Coach Racks Up Half Century
Friday 17th June, 2005

This weekend's First Grade game against Corrimal marks the 50th First Grade game for Captain-Coach Craig Simon. The former NRL player will become the 23rd Port Kembla Player to achieve the milestone since 1982, and has scored 116 points through 29 tries in the process.

Simon first played with The Blacks in 2002 when he helped the club return to the semi finals of the First Grade competition for the first time in 17 years. During his four years with Port, he has suffered a few injuries including a season ending knee injury which delayed his reaching of this milestone.

2005 is Simon's second year as Captain-Coach of the club where his brother (Mark) and father (Dallas) have spent much of their senior years.

Port junior Ben Carr will also bring up a significant milestone when he runs on for his 50th Reserve Grade match with The Blacks. This can be seen as somewhat of a "mini milestone" for Carr given that he is nearing his 100 Grade Games for the club, a feat he will achieve before season's end if he remains fit and on the playing field. Carr also needs just two more tries to register his 100 points for Port Kembla in all grades.

The games this weekend are vitally important to both First and Reserve Grades in the context of semi final positions. A win to First Grade will see them at worst maintain a tie for fourth place (with Dapto) while a loss would likely drop the team to sixth place and two points adrift of a play-off spot.

A Reserve Grade win would at worst maintain a fifth place for The Blacks, one point adrift of fifth position, while a loss could drop them as low as seventh position and three points from fourth place.