Bowls: Old boys seeking pot of gold at Cray

Ron Palmer (left), Bill Smoothy and Euan Hubbard. PHOTO/Glenn Taylor

Bill Smoothy, Ron Palmer and Euan Hubbard claim to have received little in the way of bowls coaching.

"We're supposed to have gone to coaching but it would be hard to take old habits out of us," Hubbard, lead for the Omarunui club triple, explained yesterday.

However, that lack of coaching didn't stop the retired trio - who are all on the "other side of 70", according to skip Smoothy - upsetting some more fancied combinations to win last year's "Cray" Tournament at the Port Ahuriri club with an unbeaten run.

This weekend they will attempt to win back-to-back titles at the 55th edition of the 32-team tournament, which switched from fours to triples in 1998.

"We'll do what we can. It's a big ask because it's such a tough event but we were the only team to go unbeaten last year so that has to give us confidence.

"At the same time we know we'll have a big target on our backs," Smoothy said.

Few teams have won consecutive titles in the event but four-time winner of the tournament, Bowls Napier's Ken Smith, won three consecutive titles from 2008-2010. "None of us have done anything spectacular in bowls. Last year's win was the highlight for all of us in the code," Smoothy said.

A former power station operator, Smoothy, took up bowls in 1986 in Levin and played in Wairoa before joining the Omarunui club. He won the colts singles title at Levin Central club, junior singles at Wairoa and the triples at Omarunui with Hubbard and Tong Young.

Palmer has been bowling for 11 years. The former builder had five years in Taupo before moving to the Bay where he has been a member of the Bay View and Omarunui clubs.

"Playing in Taupo you get regular competition against players from Rotorua and Tauranga. The competition is a lot stronger than it is here in the Bay."

His wife Dot is a former Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay representative.

"She gives me plenty of advice as well as meat packs from tournament prizes she has won," Palmer said.

Former Post Office worker Hubbard has been in and out of the Bay since 1958 and took up bowls when in Kapiti in 2002.

He has been at Omarunui for the past six years where he has won junior singles and club triples titles.

Last year's win came in the first tournament the trio played in together. When quizzed on the secret to their success Smoothy replied: "Compatibility. You play better when everyone gets on with each other and you can abuse each other more too."

Later this summer, the trio will select a clubmate to join them for the Waipukurau Fours, the Palmerston North Golden Oldies and the Whakatane-hosted RSA Nationals.

However, that's later in the season. Their immediate focus is to retain the "Cray" Trophy.

Judging by the strong grip Smoothy had on it before and after yesterday's photo shoot they don't intend to give it up easy. "We quite liked the $100 cash we each got and of course the crayfish, too," Palmer said.

Each of the 32 teams play four games today. The top eight teams play for the top prize tomorrow.