URALLA may be out and Bingara, Guyra, Narwan and Warialda could be coming back in but the first change many Group 19 league fans may notice in 2015 is that gate prices have gone up.
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Moree Boars board director Mick Fernance said the $2 rise in tickets was “fair enough” but that the club was bitterly disappointed by the fact Goondiwindi would no longer make the trip down to Moree.
The club reluctantly ended their dalliance with NSW footy after one season which president Peter Rice said the Goondiwindi Boars “enjoyed immensely”.
They had permission to play another season south of the border and Rice said the Boars could ultimately have stuck around for the long haul, but that lack of direction from organisers forced the Gundy Boars to hoof it.
“Nothing is going to replace the atmosphere and crowds we had in the games with the two Moree clubs,” he said.
There has been a lot of talk of changes to the group including the creation of a second division and Rice said these uncertainties and poor communication from organisers gave the club “no other alternative” than to return to the TRL.
“We enjoyed this season immensely, we had a very, very good year and we were very happy to be going back [in 2015],” he said. “We applied to Queensland for permission to go back, and that permission was granted.
“I said for a long time that we needed to play where the two Moree clubs were and it’s just a shame that things couldn’t have been different,” he said. “You need to sort out your jerseys, how do you do it? What do you tell sponsors?”
CRL Scott Bone said the Queenslanders’ season in Group 19 had strengthened the competition but that the long trips for clubs like Armidale did take a toll.
“Their inclusion was a boost, the extra team was a good thing,” Bone said.
“But ultimately it was their decision and they had to decide what was best for them.”
If one team’s leaving the competition was a disappointment for the Moree Boars then the possible inclusion of another may cause a major headache.
“It’s a bit of a threat with Warialda coming in because we had upwards of a half a dozen pretty handy players from there play with us last year,” Fernance said. “We’ve had no real feedback as to which way they’re going to go but that might take a little bit out of our strength.”
Group 19 president Mick Lewis said the future of clubs which were looking to come back from the wilderness next year would be determined at a meeting between the clubs on November 26. Lewis said he likes of Warialda and Narwan, if they were able to re-enter the fold, would be looking at the Boomerangs for a model.
“The Boomerangs have been an outstanding success story since they’ve come back into the competition and I think that any club that is coming back into the competition would look to model themselves on what Moree Boomerangs have been able to achieve,” he said.
“There was a time in the past, in the distant past, when the Boomerangs had a bad reputation but they’ve certainly fixed it up and a lot of the credit for that must go to Mitchell Johnson, who’s done a great job out there.
“Going to Moree for a game is a very pleasant experience. They’re an outstanding football side and I know that Ashford, for example, loves going out there. We don’t always enjoy the results but they are always very welcoming and it’s a great day.”
Fernance said the return of the Boomerangs had been good for league in Moree and the fact they would field junior teams for the first time in their history next season would strengthen the Boars too.
“Traditionally what happened with the junior league was that the Aboriginal kids play with the Boars and then when they turn under 16 or under 18 they go whichever way they want to go, to the Boars or the Boomerangs, so that won’t be any different,” he said.
“What it may do is strengthen rugby league for Moree because right now there are a lot of kids who play rugby union because they haven’t been able to get a game as there have been too many kids per grade.
“I believe now that there is more space they will come back to rugby league.”
Both Fernance and Johnson believed the rise in entry prices from $6 to $8 for season games, $10 for finals and $15 was justified as clubs struggled to stay afloat financially.
“I don’t think it’s too outrageous,” Johnson said. “No-one likes to pay more for anything but the fact is we’ve been in the comp five years and it hasn’t gone up at all. I was assuming at some point it was going to go up like everything else does. Under 18s are free at the Boomerangs anyway.”
