BATHURST Bulldogs president John Maynard is worried the stronger clubs could suffer as a result of the controversial two-pool structure in the revamped 2016 Blowes Clothing Cup.
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Maynard highlighted Orange Emus and Orange City - last year’s title winners and runners-up - as the two clubs who would suffer the most if the competition’s reciprocal local derby matches were maintained, and thus drawn in the same group.
The problem would be exacerbated should the Bulldogs or Dubbo Kangaroos be drawn in that group as well, creating a potential pool-of-death scenario.
“I have been involved with the competition for a long time and there hasn’t been a complete split of the competition before that I am aware of. There was a tier system in the early 2000s, but this is the first complete split in Blowes Cup I think has happened,” Maynard said.
“The split will be tricky. Of course if they maintain the local derbies, then the Orange clubs will [be drawn together and will] be the ones that suffer the most in that regard because I believe they are the two premier first grade teams at the moment.
“But also those two Orange clubs are pretty strong all through the grades as well.”
The Bulldogs pioneered a radical, six-team, elite competition proposal in a bid to influence Central West Rugby Union’s decision regarding the Blowes Clothing Cup’s 2016 revamp, and so were left predictably disgruntled after confirmation of the changes last week.
Maynard said the club was relieved, and pleased, the colts grade was made a mandatory requirement, but he expressed deep worries regarding the change to an under-19 age group.
“We had a bit of a win as far as compulsory colts, that was one of our biggest concerns,” Maynard said.
“For us though, the 19s is a real sticking point, only as we don’t have a junior club. It’s not ideal for us, I don’t think 19s are sustainable, our club doesn’t believe it will work.
“I hope we are wrong, but we’ve proven over the last three years that 20s work, colts have improved markedly since we’ve gone to 20s.”
The Bulldogs’ big concern about lowering the age requirement a year is that it will force players into first, second and third grade teams earlier and therefore put a strain on the club to field a competitive colts outfit each season.
