The outfit Rooke coaches plays in the National Premier Leagues 4 competition and given it involves many clubs which are based in areas currently under COVID-19 lockdown orders, play is currently suspended.

Rooke was hoping to get clarification late last week on the competition's future, but a decision is still pending. It has him thinking Western, who have played 16 of a planned 22 round games, will not get back on the paddock this season.

"They [Football NSW] are meeting with the sports commissions and the government to discuss if there's any way sport is going to open up and how it's going to happen if it does," Rooke said.

"We got that late last week and it's the only thing we've heard, it's just total limbo to be honest," he said.

"My personal opinion is we're not going back to playing this year. We've had seven weeks now since we played our last game and we haven't trained in three, nearly four because of the wet weather.

"They'd have to give teams a few weeks lead in before they started playing again, it just sets it back further and further."

If games had proceeded as planned by now Western's campaign would be over given they were out of finals contention. That impacts availability if play is to resume and it's not the only factor either.

"A lot of the boys are taking on extra work, because of lockdown there are no extra tradies coming this way, they're trying to make a bit of hay while the sun shines, so they're really busy," he said.

"Look it's disappointing, but I just wish they'd give us an outcome so we can plan for next year. We need to move forward and at this stage it's difficult."

The difficulty Football NSW officials have does not rest with the challenges of lockdown either. An impending restructure adds to their considerations.

"Next year there will be three tiers, NPL1, 2 and 3, and each competition will have 16 teams," Rooke explained.

"It doesn't matter so much for us or NPL1, but NPL2 and NPL3, the top 4 in NPL2 will get promoted and the other eight will stay, the top eight in NPL3 will go up and the bottom sides join in with ours.

"That's what they are trying to figure out, are they going to cause furore if they call it now and say this is where everyone has finished and everyone is going to be."

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