Group Nine is on the hunt for new ideas to spark the competition and address concerns over dwindling player numbers.
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Moving under 16s to the junior league is being floated as one solution with a six-team competition being run this year.
Kangaroos, Gundagai, Cootamundra and Junee are all without sides in under 16s this season while Junee and Brothers don’t have under 18s.
A number of reserve grade teams are filled with players nearing or over their 40s to help clubs get on the paddock.
Group Nine president Jack Morton wants clubs to bring forward their suggestions and tell them where they are at.
“We need to find an answer going forward we can’t just say that is how is used to be,” Morton said.
“People are looking at things to change this as it is a bad trend and the bottom line is we need change.”
The player drain was really come to the fore as the season nears its conclusion.
With clubs not nominating teams, Tumut forfeiting leaguetag again and Temora already withdrawing their reserve grade side 16 teams across the five grades weren’t in action over the weekend.
Only one one Sullivan Cup game was played over the weekend and Morton estimated around 250 people went without football.
“It is a worrying trend,” Morton said.
“That’s a lot of young people who are not playing football in the Group Nine senior comp in one weekend.”
Senior player numbers have decreased in each of the last four years.
Country Rugby League will release a number of recommendations from under sixes through to first grade in the coming weeks but Bidgee region manager David Skinner wants Group Nine to bring some ideas of their own as well.
“Jack Morton has sent out an email to the clubs seeking change and CRL would like to see some ideas back from Jack and the directors to what changes they think will restore the game,” Skinner said.
“Suggestions that CRL have made in the past, like player points systems, have previously been unpopular with the board so we would like to hear from them.”
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