Rugby League's future in the bush.

[PJ]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Not sure if you guys are too aware but there is a massive **** fight here in the bush at the moment between bush clubs and the CRL (Mr Quinn). The issue is getting a large amount of media exposure here in the bush and it stems from Leo McCarthy from a Wagga Wagga rugby league club having a go at the CRL for not doing much for league in the bush. Quinns reply was that it was the clubs fault for letting it slip-what a load of crap !
Rugby union is making massive inroads around the area with a growing development program and a Brumbies pre-season game which was hugely popular and got a massive amount of positive media coverage.
Aussie Rules is going from strenghth to strenghth with a Kangaroos pre-season super camp spreading itself around the area and a massive amount of positive media coverage with that- they also have a number of development officers spread throughout the area and a great Auskick juniors program.
League has one development officer spread throughout the area (who does the best job he can with the resources he is allocated from the CRL).
If the CRL thinks there is no problem they are living in fantasy land.
League is DYING IN THE BUSH.
My local league team has disappeared just as many others in the area.
Most clubs are forced to rely on imports which detracts from the local interest and country footy clubs just can't afford to pay these players the money they are asking.
Juniors-due to a combination of having nowhere to play league and the bad press associated with the game, are turning more and more to rules and union.
I love league and think it is a better game than rules and union put together but unfortunately I can see the game soon disappearing from my local area- an area that produced the likes of Cliff Lyons, the Mortimer brothers, Simon Bonetti, Simon Wolford, Laurie Daley,Trent Barett, Peter Sterling, Steve Readon and I'm sure I could go on and on.
The NRL and CRL need to get off the arses and do something about this otherwise league will be lost forever to this area and that would be a sad thing indeed.
I just wanted to put it to you all and see what you thought.

 

[byso]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

What a f-ing joke the NRL should be throwing heaps of cash into the league to give it a push....Most of the top players come from the bush.......Are the CRL sitting on there hands or something :evil:

 

[Canteen Worker]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

PJ - on the spot. I grew up in Tamworth and played three sports every weekend but League was number 1. No rugby or AFL - though I played in the first games in either code there in my last year at school. Massive league centre with huge following.

School League was huge and my school had heaps of teams. We still won more State Knockouts than any other school and had a proud tradition

Competition from other sports is now major, and Superleague put the cause of league back about a million years.

The school has 1 team which plays midweek. Hockey, Soccer, Rugby and AFL all seem to have more of a foothold and of the three local clubs two have amalgamated.

The idea of linking teams in the NRL with Regions is long overdue as it will force the clubs to take an interest. The CRL is a bunch of out of touch old farts who live in a byegone era. (Brisbane will reject the idea but) NRL money and development is urgently needed to boost a game that is dying slowly in what used to be the biggest nursery of young players!

 

[Fluffy]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Definatly need more involvement from the NRL.

Also have to give those country boys something else to do.

 

[Volley]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Good point Fluffy. In my home town, most, nearly all the league players were/are not the most intelligent.

 

[PJ]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Yeah that is sort of the way with alot of local league teams now Volley but it wasn't always the way- public servants, teachers and the like who used to move into country towns used to play league but now you find they are going elsewhere or just don't want to be associated with the game.
Clubs are forced to rely on "not so intelligent players" for player numbers due to the fact that other codes are poaching players or they just don't want to play because of the negative press coverage of late for the game.
League is falling behind in junior programs and on a local club level which is causing the game to suffer in a big way in the bush.
"Not so intelligent people" or not atleast these not so bright players are having a go and helping to keep the game alive in the bush - even if it is only just.
If you want to start having a go at someone have a go at the NRL and CRL more specifically Mr Quinn because without this mass of "not so intelligent" players we wouldn't have a game in the bush- since when have you required a degree to play the game anyway ?

 

[Garts]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

it is a problem. I played league until I was 16 then swapped over to the local Union team. There must have been about 10 of us that changed codes in 1 season.

I was up there watching a union final last year and noticed a few more league players had come over again. And a few of them were top players for the local league team.

I am not sure what is causing them to defect but something has to be done thats for sure.

 

[Volley]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Yeah that is sort of the way with alot of local league teams now Volley but it wasn't always the way- public servants, teachers and the like who used to move into country towns used to play league but now you find they are going elsewhere or just don't want to be associated with the game.
Clubs are forced to rely on \"not so intelligent players\" for player numbers due to the fact that other codes are poaching players or they just don't want to play because of the negative press coverage of late for the game.
League is falling behind in junior programs and on a local club level which is causing the game to suffer in a big way in the bush.
\"Not so intelligent people\" or not atleast these not so bright players are having a go and helping to keep the game alive in the bush - even if it is only just.
If you want to start having a go at someone have a go at the NRL and CRL more specifically Mr Quinn because without this mass of \"not so intelligent\" players we wouldn't have a game in the bush- since when have you required a degree to play the game anyway ?

Sorry to upset you PJ, and I'm not having a go at anyone, and I am glad that these fellas all have a dig. Just saying that if League was lost in my home town which looks like a possibilty (senior side got about 3-5 players turning up for the first training seesion, after winning the premiership the year before) then alot of the youth will lose their only sport they play.

Btw, Union and AFL are both not present at Town x, but have moved in to X's closest neighbour.

 

[Matabele]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

I lived in Canowindra for quite a while and watched with amazement the ascendancy of Union over LEague in that period.

In 1995 the League team made the GF and the town was painted yellow and gold. They were strong in two grades and in Juniors from Under 6 up. That was SL year.

Within 3 years they'd had to shut down the U18s side because any player with promise was being snapped up by the 20 SL/ARL teams, and the bigger towns like Orange and Co soaked up the rest to make up their numbers. Mitchell Sargeant who now plays for the Cowboys is a Canowindra product from this era.

So by 1997 a very talented U16s side came out the other end and had nowhere to go. The town's 1st grade side was chock full of 20+ year olds so the kids drifted over to the Union side because they had unlimited interchange. In the 90s the Unions side had NO juniors.

These days the Union side has its own juniors system and the side is probably stronger than the League side. LAst I heard the League side was struggling for numbers at all levels.

 

[Fluffy]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Town Y??

 

[Matabele]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Volley obviously wants to remain in cognito.

 

[PJ]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Na Volley I wasn't upset- plenty of people share your opinion- hell I've had those thoughts myself. When I went to a local game last year and saw all these lets say, less schooled people out there having a go making sure that our local team had a team on the paddock and getting smashed week in week out I thought about the whole senario.
Most of these blokes would be better suited to reserve grade but were forced to play firsts to keep the club going.
That's why I blame the NRL/CRL for not promoting/pushing the game enough to get significant numbers to support a bush team.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

Same story everywhere.

Whilst Rupert was selling his Global Vision to have litle men in Mongolia and China watching the 'world game' (in what was really a cynical and expensive attempt to get control of Pay TV), the game in the country went up the spout,

Rugby got a free kick and League has never recovered from the associated stench. In the bigger centres the game survives but in the smaller centres many people are lost to the game!

Very, very sad.

I know some city people say get over SuperLeague - it was years ago - but knowing the impact it had on the bush just makes me feel sick in the stomach!!!

I wonder if 1c of Murdoch's money ever saw the light of day outside the turncoat clubs who betrayed our great game out of self-interest, greed and self-preservation!!!!!!!! x) x) x)

 

[Matabele]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

In Canowindra the next "Mitchell Sargeant" will end up in Union I'd say.

Sargeant would have himself if the eels hadn't offered him a truckload at the height of the SL war.

 

[Garts]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

In Canowindra the next \"Mitchell Sargeant\" will end up in Union I'd say.

Sargeant would have himself if the eels hadn't offered him a truckload at the height of the SL war.

I cant believe the money they were throwing around then. some kids were on $60k + while playing SG Ball.

 

[Fluffy]

Rugby League's future in the bush.

lucky farks