Cowra boss Marc McLeish has called on New South Wales Rugby League to review its current boundaries to ensure clubs like his can continue to remain viable.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Magpies dropped out of the Group 10 top grade for the 2021 premier league race, confirming that position on Wednesday.
The club will continue to play in the Group 10 first division, under 18s and league tag competitions and, McLeish says, it'll do so with the support of ex-NRL players Shannon Boyd and Jack Buchanan, who are both set to assist with the club's under 18s team.
"A terrific combination of 170 odd NRL games to bring our kids through. The club doesn't need saving it needs support to rebuild," McLeish said in a Facebook post.
As one of the smaller centres in Group 10, McLeish says the Cowra club has continued to punch above its weight in one of the stronger bush footy competitions in NSW.
But there's only so long, McLeish says, the Magpies' officials could continue to do so, adding this week's decision had a sense of inevitability about it.
It's the second year running Group 10 has lost one of its smaller clubs, with Oberon (population under 3000) dropping back to the mid-west premiership.
Cowra's population is around the 10,000 mark, and there's five other current clubs - from Group Nine and the Woodbridge Cup - within an hour's drive of the Magpies' base at Sid Kallas Oval.
"In a couple of conversations I've had with the committee, I think they've realised the inevitable is there, but I think it goes beyond Group 10," McLeish said.
"It goes back to NSW rugby league really assessing their boundaries and working more towards population based competitions, where we can be competing against towns of a similar size.
"I realise that has been explored with a combined Group 11-Group 10 competition, but at the end of the day it still has us competing ... against extremely large centres.
"So towns like us ... it would involve major imports. While we've competed pretty strongly in the last couple of years we've had to import a few players and it's not ideal."
McLeish said the mood at Sid Kallas Oval after the club's players were informed of the decision was far more relaxed.
"It's really a breath of fresh air, I don't mind saying," he said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.westernadvocate.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
