A LACK of communication between clubs and coaches can lead to problems with the Group Three Rugby League draw, group president Wayne Bridge believes.
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Mr Bridge was commenting on regular complaints aired by first grade coaches in the Times about the stop-start nature of this season’s premiership.
Wingham coach Stu Baker said in Friday’s Times his side had played just two games in a month leading into the clash against unbeaten Port Macquarie last weekend.
Mr Bridge said this is a valid.
“It’s not helped by the fact that we currently have a seven club competition, so there has to be a bye,’’ he said.
“If Macleay gets back in next year then we’ll have eight clubs and that’ll get rid of the bye and help to some extent.’’
However, Mr Bridge pointed out the draw is agreed to by club delegates at the group’s annual meeting held in November.
“Club delegates at the annual meeting say they don’t want to play over Easter and they don’t want to play over the June long weekend. So we have to work around that when the draw is made. We also have to factor in representative games.
“But not playing on those weekends also adds to the problem of not having continuous football. It would help if there was a bit more communication between the clubs and their coaches before they come to the annual meeting.’’
Mr Bridge wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the group dealing directly with coaches to discuss aspects of the draw.
However, he added the reluctance of clubs to play three rounds also adds to the problem.
For many years Group Three had a seven club, three round format.
In 1983 for example, matches started on Sunday March 13. There were free weekends for representative fixtures (Group Three/Group Two), a North Coast game played at Coffs Harbour and one week set aside in July for deferred games. Matches were played on the June long weekend and the grand final was decided on Sunday September 18. In all the competition-proper ran for 21 weeks, with clubs playing 18 games and having three byes.
This year there was a two week pre-season kicking off on March 14 with the first round of the competition beginning on April 11/12. Grand final day is Sunday August 30. The season-proper runs for 14 weeks, clubs playing 12 games.
“Playing three rounds would be an answer, but the clubs don’t want to do that.
“They say it’s too much football,’’ Mr Bridge said.
Premiership winning Port City mentor Ben Sprague favours a three round draw with games the same weekend as representative fixtures.
He also believes matches should be played on the June long weekend.
Sprague agrees that the lack of continuity in the competition this year has had an adverse impact.
“We need more football. Players can back up after representative games if they need to, they’re young fit men, so that shouldn’t bother them,’’ he said.
“Hardly anyone goes away on the June long weekend - it’s too cold and most of them have to work anyway.’’