Tim Ryan’s one of those figures in Western rugby league, when he talks everyone should listen.
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The three-time premiership-winning Group 11 first grade coach demands respect, he’s earned that much given what he’s contributed to the game at both Dubbo CYMS and in this region.
About 18 months ago, Ryan took the time to draft up a concept, called the Challenge Cup, designed to reinvigorate a bit of interest in rugby league in the region, as well as give teams the chance to play against other sides from their opposing Group competition.
Why?
There’s no doubt both Group 10 and Group 11 are two of the strongest bush footy premierships currently running.
The whole Western Rams area and its junior representative programs are the envy of other regions across all of Country Rugby League.
Given that, there’s probably no real need to look at anything drastic in regards to change.
What’s the old saying? If ain’t broken, don’t fix it.
But that’s the safe bet.
Rugby league - sport in general, really - is becoming an increasingly tough sell in the current climate, one where everything is instant, everyone is time poor and all clubs are just plain poor, or cry to be.
A decline mightn’t be rapid, but it’s certainly there.
And Ryan can see it.
So, why not be a little bit proactive, rather than just reactive, and stay ahead of the game.
Merging groups, introducing a promotion and relegation system or clubs making moves to switch competitions, changes are always mooted in Western but too often the proposals are messy.
Ryan’s concept, though, is brilliant in its simplicity.
Group 10 and Group 11 would remain as is. All that’s required is an extra five weeks in the season.
Four of those weeks would be used as Challenge Cup rounds, spread across April, May and June, where the top four sides from Group 11 would play off against the top four from Group 10, and then a grand final is played for the top two sides.
The same format would be used for clubs in the bottom four of each competition, giving those sides a chance to work towards a title.
Top four and bottom four positions would be based on where clubs finished during the previous season.
Western has at least shown it’s happy to consider change when the Rams board moved to adopt a Western Challenge from 2019 onwards, pitting Group 10 and Group 11 premiers against each other in a Super bowl-like clash.
The one issue with that concept is the timing. The end-of-season scheduling just doesn’t sit right, clubs admitted as much when Forbes knocked off Bathurst Panthers in the inaugural running of the challenge in September – two weeks after the Group 10 and Group 11 grand finals.
Ryan’s Challenge Cup concept is done and dusted by July.
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It means clubs then get the chance to go back to their own Group campaigns and focus on the one thing they’ve been working towards since pre-season training started in January – winning their own premiership.
That’s the way the season should end.
Ryan’s concept allows that, while also giving everyone what they want – a chance to see the best sides in the west go head-to-head.
So instead of taking the safe bet, let’s ask: who’s up for the challenge?
Tahsin salutes on day for the ages as Mudgee firms as capital of sport in Central West
Bathurst has the V8s, the Penrith Panthers and just about every hockey team imaginable.
Dubbo has Bardon Park, which is a brilliant facility, and acts as basically the heart of a first-class racing district. The new Western Region Academy of Sport will be pretty impressive, too.
And of course Orange has, er, Wade Park… oh, and night markets, Orange has a night market for just about everything you could ever imagine.
But I’m digressing.
Which city is the sporting capital of the Central West?
I’m here to tell you none of them hold a candle to Mudgee.
Mudgee is undoubtedly the home of sport in this region, a town of 10,000 people that punches well above its weight when it comes to both attracting and attending top-line sport.
Friday’s Mudgee Cup was another prime example.
The Mudgee Race Club indicated upwards of 5000 people attended Friday’s showcase meeting.
That’s huge. Other race clubs in the district – aside from Dubbo’s Derby Day – can only dream about a crowd that big.
Then just down the road is the $14 million Glen Willow Regional Sporting Complex, a world-class ground.
It hosted the final City Country clash and a Super Rugby trial in 2017, then this year has attracted the A-League, the Charity Shield, the St George-Illawarra and Canberra NRL clash and a National Rugby Championship game – all of which had bumper crowds.
The Dragons will again be back, twice, in 2019.
In the same time frame, Orange and Dubbo hasn’t been able to draw any big events. None. If you’re a fan of sport in either city, it doesn’t add up.
Make the trip to Mudgee. Horses, footy and great wine, it’s well worth the hike.
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