Roos president breaks silence on homeless women's side saga

The Wagga club will sit down with the Group Nine board on Thursday after an application was made by a team linked to the club, currently going by the Panthers, to become the sixth team in the new tackle competition this year.

Group Nine president Mark Daly has already indicated the team will take part in the competition but wants to come to a workable resolution with the parties.

However Kangaroos president Peter Hurst revealed concerns over volunteer burnout and the timing of the announcement were the main reasons for their reluctance to field a team this year.

"We've run our club to a certain level of professionalism over the last four years and we want to keep that charter going," Hurst said.

"How this has manifested itself is just not in line with how we operate the club.

"I think there's been a vast change in the club over the past four years in the operation of the club and sometimes we have to make hard calls to benefit the greater good of the whole club.

"This is one of those situations."

The women's competition, which will not have a finals series or overall premier, was first introduced by Group Nine in December.

Hurst revealed the committee met and determined they would not take part this year.

"Our key driver for making the decision to decline for the girls for this season only in its initial pilot stage was to protect our volunteers as the burnout rate is a real issue.

"We need to protect our volunteers as without the volunteers we don't have a club.

"If we don't make sure we are viable and sustainable going forward then we won't have a pathway for our juniors."

Kangaroos juniors expressed their concerns over the decision, offering their support to the fledgling team.

Hurst emphasised the senior club's standpoint is not a deterrent to girls tackle or their pathway from juniors.

He doesn't expect it will be a long-lasting decision.

"We're not against women's footy at all and I don't know where this has came from," Hurst said.

"We have declined this year on a business structure and a timeline.

"It was December and anyone who is heavily involved in running a footy club knows that 10 days out from Christmas is a very short period to put things in place to ensure we give everyone a good experience, to make sure they stay within the club and within the game as retention is a real issue.

"Not at any stage are we not supportive of women's tackle, we're just sitting out 2024 to make sure we are professional and ready to go in 2025."

With increasing opportunities following the expansion of the NRLW last season, and Riverina's performances in the Country Championships since winning the inaugural competition in 2019 Group Nine decided a nines competition would be an ideal starting point.

Five clubs have already come on board with games to be played as 14-minute halves.

The game is set to slot in between reserve grade and first grade, with first grade pushing back to a 3pm kick-off.

However Hurst believes the extra addition will have a bigger impost than the current allocation.

"Anyone that is heavily involved in a club knows there is so much more than just game day," he said.

"It's compliance, it's registration, the appointment of coaches and how we run our club to make sure we have the right people in the right positions, to ensure we have good culture at the club and with the game day now starting earlier and finishing later it's an impost on everyone there.

"The biggest thing for us is it's across the board and across the whole day."

The Group Nine season kicks off on April 13 with Kangaroos playing host to Tumut at Equex Centre.

With the Blues not fielding a team as well Brothers and Gundagai, potentially their first women's game would be against Albury on May 4.

Hurst is hoping to be able to focus on the club's existing teams in the build up to the season.

"Currently our structure is in place to look after our current teams, to ensure they have an enjoyable experience in the competition and we have obligations to our leaguetag girls, coach, manager and assistant staff," he said.

"Having this come at such a late time leaves us in a position unable to go through our due processes and proper protocols, as we have done in the past."