Tumbarumba is exploring a last-ditch concept to keep the club alive after revealing it would not have enough players to field a first-grade side in 2018.
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The Greens will hold an urgent meeting with Tumut’s executive in Batlow this week to gauge the possibility of combining with the Blues.
Any potential collaboration would be a one-year arrangement designed to buy the Greens some time to build a longer-term playing base.
If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, it will likely send Tumbarumba into recess until 2019, according to president Larry Collins.
Collins stressed the club’s executive was doing everything it could to ensure the Greens featured in the on-field action this year.
“We want to do the best thing by our players,” he said.
“They’re keen to play on and the league tag team really wants to play too.”
Collins added that if an agreement was reached, he was unsure if his players would run out in Tumut’s colours or their own, saying he was hoping to flesh out those details at the meeting.
The Tumut collaboration concept was reached after the Greens spoke with Group Nine board members at an open meeting which was attended by about 60 people in Tumbarumba on Saturday.
Many of the locals present at the meeting were in favour of exploring the idea, according to Collins.
Group Nine president Jack Morton was reluctant to discuss the meeting but said the ball was now in the Greens’ court.
“They’ve got some decisions to make,” Morton said.
“Until they make those decisions, we can’t put out draws and move forward.
“All the other clubs are waiting to see what they do.”
Tumbarumba has until January 29 to make a final call, a deadline which was set by Group Nine.
The Greens have the full support of Country Rugby League in pushing to remain in the competition, with CRL regional manager David Skinner stating last week he hoped to see the side remain in Group Nine.
The club originally announced it would be leaving the competition to play in the Murray Cup, a competition which would have provided less competition and more travel.
But the news caught Murray Cup president Chris Treffers off-guard and Tumbarumba soon shifted their focus back to Group Nine.
