A state league featuring the likes of Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Wagga and Tamworth was just one of the many proposals discussed at Sunday’s Western Rams Rugby League boundary review meeting.
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Identities from almost all the region’s competitions attended the meeting at Wellington, designed to discuss any possible competition structure changes.
An outside consultancy agency also attended the event to gather the ideas and put them together in a report.
That report, expected in the next six to eight weeks, will then be put back to the regional committee for further discussion and feedback.
Group 11 was the most well represented competition at the meeting while there was also representatives from Group 10 seniors and juniors, the Castlereagh League, Group 14, Lachlan and District Junior League, the Midwest Rugby League and the Woodbridge Cup.
Country Rugby League regional manager Western Peter Clarke said there was a “good attendance” and “good discussion” but said any comment on outcomes would be pure speculation at this early stage.
Dubbo CYMS chairman Kevin Walkom said a state league featuring country NSW’s biggest regions was mentioned, as was the idea of a western league featuring the likes “Lithgow, Orange, Bathurst and Dubbo”.
CYMS kicked off the debate over competition structure last year when applying to move to Group 10, a move which was later denied.
“These meetings are a sign of the right direction. It’s a positive step,” Walkom said, before speaking about the state league idea.
“It’s a concept we could possibly grow into but the first step is looking at our current competitions and the competitiveness of the current competitions.
“Getting better involvement from the community and getting the public to play the game.
“That will strengthen the base to have a state league type competition.”
Dubbo Macquarie co-coach Steve McLellan was another of the attendees at Wellington.
“It gave everyone an opportunity to have a say and it will be interesting to see what the findings are,” he said.
“It was advertised as boundaries but I made the comment its more about competition and matching where clubs fit.
“When you have boundaries there’s always someone who will oppose it so you’ve got to look at the competition more.”
Walkom echoed that sentiment, saying any possible change in the future will not be made to “diminish competition”, but rather help boost it.
