No one is shocked by the Country Championships result. That's why it must change

That's right, the plucky bunch of battlers from the region which has a population of almost 350,000 got it done.

The team led by former NRL coach Garth Brennan and featuring former Australian representative Blake Ferguson in its lineup defeated Monaro 20-4 on Saturday, March 23.

It marked back-to-back country crowns for the Rebels and, honestly, can we see them relinquishing that any time soon?

The Newcastle competition is only getting stronger and it's been a pretty remarkable spree of off-season signings in the Hunter.

More than 20 players with NRL experience will run out for Denton Engineering Cup sides in 2024. That group includes the likes of Ferguson, Blake Austin, Frank-Paul Nu'uausala, Will Smith, David Fifita, Brad Tighe, Liam Foran and Peni Terepo.

Any of those players would easily walk into a Western Rams representative team but a player like Terepo - who played more than 100 games for Parramatta - could only earn a spot as 18^th man for the Newcastle Rebels.

It shows how simply unfair the current Country Championships system is.

In our region, the Western Rams board has been trying for years now to put emphasis on the representative program and ensure the best players put their hand up for selection. It's never really worked out and can you really blame these players for not wanting to play when, realistically, they know it would be an almighty shock if they won more than one match?

This year's Rams team was beaten by the Northern Tigers earlier this month in round one and that Tigers side went on to be thumped 52-0 by Newcastle the following weekend. That came after the Rams were whacked 46-18 by Newcastle last season.

After a poor season in 2023, Monaro bolstered its squad with the likes of former Canberra Raider Sam Williams. If things stay the same, we're likely in for a Newcastle-Monaro grand final again next season.

For the good of the competition, things need to change.

The NSW Rugby League may spruik the star power the Country Championships possesses - its online report from the final made sure to point out the presence of Ferguson, Smith and Williams early on - but it's not for the greater good.

Northern Tigers players might not be so keen to go again next season after getting belted this year and there's every chance players in Riverina and Northern Rivers are the same.

Those are the regions this competition should really be for.

Yes, it's great to have big names on show and you want a strong Country representative side for the annual clash with City, but this is about more than that.

This is about ensuring the health of bush footy. It's about having that player at a small town like Nyngan, Lithgow, Cowra or Coonamble aspiring to the highest level they can rather than not bothering with representative footy because they don't want to waste a weekend during what is still the off-season.

Plus, it's about doing what just makes sense. Newcastle might be considered regional but it's a city. It's the most populous region in the state outside of Sydney.

Canberra, Illawarra and Macarthur also contest the championships. Is anyone calling those three locations 'country'?

This competition is meant to showcase the best of the bush and, just as importantly, give players another avenue to be noticed. But were there many NRL scouts rushing to the weekend's final to watch 33-year-old Williams lock horns with 31-year-old Smith in the battle of the halves? Obviously not.

There was plenty of criticism for the way the now defunct Country Rugby League changed the championships from opens to under 23s. That format ran from 2017-2020 before mistakes were realised and it was changed back again.

But maybe we could learn from both. Maybe, the Rebels revert to under 23s. The Newcastle competition is getting bigger and better so why not give its rising stars - who are no doubt gaining invaluable experience from the former NRL players at club level - the chance to get noticed and maybe be offered another NRL chance.

You can't tell me a 22-year-old rising star of Newcastle rugby league wouldn't benefit from running into a grizzled front-rower from Western.

Change is almost a constant for the Country Championships. Once upon a time Group 11 and Group 10 competed on their own in a tiered country competition.

The quality of bush footy, for the most part, is getting better and structure is changing constantly.

It's time the top level of the game changed with it.