Action hots up in Newcastle next week for men's NTC Challenge

Some of Australia's top water polo players will be on show next week as Newcastle plays host to the annual men’s NTC Challenge.
 
Seven teams will contest the tournament with the Japanese and New Zealand national team’s joining state institutes from Western Australia, NSW, Victoria and Queensland as well as a composite Barbarians outfit.
 
The NTC Challenge comes at an important time for Australian men’s water polo with London 2012 Olympic preparations hotting up.
 
Head coach John Fox said it will be crucial for all involved with players having a final opportunity to test their skills against the very best heading into the 2012 Water Polo Pan Pacs in Melbourne this January.
 
“It gives us as selectors, both senior and junior, an opportunity to see all the players who are in the national program and see how they go against high quality competition,” Fox said.
 
“In previous years we had the national state championships, but that did not include the overseas guys and did allow retired players to play.
 
“This is a lot better as we only have those with national selection on the horizon and it allows us to judge the group more evenly.”
 
The event is in its fourth year and Fox believes the initiative has provided the type of competition needed to compliment the National Water Polo League.
 
“The concept was designed to give the institutes an identity because they provide a training environment as we know, but there was no actual competition or anything to put their name to,” he said.
 
“Now there is a lot of ownership shown by the players because this is where they spend the majority of their time preparing for the national team and absolutely there is a lot of interest.
 
“For the overseas guys it is sometimes even more special as it is the only chance they have to represent their state at any level.”
 
The Newcastle region will be represented by five locally bred players during the week with the Hunter Hurricanes’ Mitch Baird and Merewether’s Richie Campbell selected for the strong New South Wales outfit.
 
Alex Bennie and Nathan Powers have been chosen in the Barbarians squad, while Daniel Lawrence, who was born in Newcastle and played his junior polo for the Lake Macquarie Dolphins, has been selected to play for Western Australia.
 
The NTC Challenge will be played at the Lambton Pool in Newcastle from December 15-19.
 
NSWIS: Joel Dennerley, Richie Campbell, Mitch Baird, Johnno Cotterill, Samuele Avallone, Aidan Roach, Mitch Emery, Tyler martin, Thomas Whalan, Gavin Woods, Lachlan Hollis, Chris Dyson, John Hahn. Coach: Chris Wybrow, A. Yanistas
VIS:
Carl Zvekan, Daniel Egan, Sam McGregor, Jarrod Gilchrist, Blake Edwards, James Woods, Matt Perrott , Josh Barrington, Lloyd Tarrant, Richie Hyden, Paul Sindone (NSWIS), Adam Polivka (NSWIS), Gordon Marshall (AUS B93). Coach: Dalibor Maslan
QAS: J Clark (NSWIS) Billy Miller, James Howden, Rhys Howden, Daniel Young, Richard Small (NZL), Tyler Sinclair, Stuart Greenbank, Robert Maitland, Anthony Martin, Nick Godfrey, Mason Fettell, Matthew Giles. Coach: S Daley, D Greenbank
WAIS: Luke Quinlivan, Dimitri Stamatis, Tim Cleland, George Ford, Sam Quinn, Jamie Beadsworth, Nick Redbond, Aaron Younger, Joel Swift, James Fannon, Luca Altieri, Daniel Lawrence, Edward Slade. Coach: Paul Oberman. 
Barbarians:Gabriel Addley (VIS),Thomas Dayman (SASI),Paxton Barr (SASI),William Dayman (WAIS), Clayton Whittaker (NSWIS), Connor Martin (NSWIS), Michael De Gail (NSWIS), Nathan Powers (B93 NSWIS), Alex Bennie (B93 NSWIS), Ben Edwards (QAS), Matt Martin (Invited VIS train on player), Scott Carpenter (Invited VIS train on player), Matt Gronow (Invited VIS/overseas train on player). Coach: John Fox, Jon Harmer
 
The 2012 NTC Challenge is supported by the Newcastle City Council

ABOUT AWPI - www.australianwaterpolo.com.au 
Australian Water Polo is the national governing body for the sport of water polo in Australia. It is charged with the development and education of water polo players, officials, coaches and volunteers throughout Australia at all levels and with the conduct of competitions and championships for all levels and age groups.

Australian Water Polo is strongly supported                              Australian Water Polo acknowledges the support of the 

by the Australian Government,                                                     Australian Olympic Committee.
through the Australian Sports Commission.