Another rugby league stronghold under threat!

[Swans4ever]

SPORT
Our Rugby League heartland is in danger

Joe Flynn (28th June 2014 12:00 PM)
THE Sunshine Coast has produced its fair share of stars - but those in the know fear the Sunshine Coast-Gympie Rugby League has never been more in danger. Veteran Maroochydore president Paul McMillan said the Coast's lack of jobs was threatening the senior competition. He said players, sponsors and supporters were becoming harder to find. Player shortages have decimated the SCGRL A-grade competition. It shrunk to six teams earlier this season when Bribie Island pulled out and Noosa and Gympie merged. It is a rugby league heartland that has produced State of Origin and Kangaroo stars - but one of longest-serving administrators in the Sunshine Coast-Gympie Rugby League has never been more fearful of the code's future on the Coast. Veteran Maroochydore president Paul McMillan says the region's job shortage is threatening the senior competition, with players, sponsors and supporters becoming harder to find. "Each year is a bit harder ... we've been looking at our books and we're concerned," he said. With a shortage of jobs forcing workers to leave the Coast or commute long distances, Noosa president Nick Webster said it was impossible to retain or recruit senior players. His club has ruled the competition for much of the past decade and produced Sydney Roosters premiership-winner Jake Friend and rising Canterbury Bulldogs talent Moses Mbye, but struggled since the slowing of the economy in 2008. "A lot of people that play rugby league are tradesmen and that sort of thing and as you know we've had a building slump in the last six or so years," Webster said. "There hasn't been a lot of work so blokes tend to get jobs where they fly in and fly out and there's a lot of pressure on your jobs, so you can't afford to play in case you get hurt." Even the league-leading Kawana Dolphins, who have not lost a game this season, are struggling, senior president Greg Ingram says. "We have 100, 110 registered players this year and we are struggling to put three teams on the field this week," he said. "There's some that are injured and there are some that are working away - that's just the way it is." SCGRL chief executive James Ward said registration numbers in seniors and juniors indicated strong interest in the game, but admitted the job situation was hurting. "The numbers signed are solid enough to sustain a competition, but the numbers available on a week-to-week basis are making it more of a struggle than it should be," he said. He said options would be discussed at an upcoming meeting with club presidents. Kawana Dolphins player Tyson Teys takes the ball up against the Caloundra Sharks. Darryn Smith Mr Ingram believes a solution must come before next season. He fears another weak off-season will reduce the once-strong league competition to only five teams like the Sunshine Coast Rugby Union competition. "It couldn't sustain another run like this year again with more teams dropping out," he said. "It would become like the rugby union comp.". Mr McMillan agreed that times were desperate and changes needed for the health of the competition. "Teams have folded in the past, but not down to this degree," he said. "We have to find a solution soon because it's not sustainable."

With AFL Sunshine Coast currently booming with representative teams in all grades coming from the despairing situation in 2010 where no representative teams could be formed - Sunshine Coast RL seems to be on the verge of collapse! Another RL heartland under threat!!!!

[Drac]

Bizarre that the primary reason they list for falling participation (lack of jobs) doesn't seem to be affecting AFL numbers in the area.

[AFLcrap1]

Can we see AFL numbers.
& real ones please .

[ParraEelsNRL]

Oh for goodness sake.

[AFLcrap1]

Cant wait to see the numbers.
If past form is anything to go by,then they will be Birchgrove oval like.

[ParraEelsNRL]

Fair dinkum, the article tells the situation plain and simple.

It could happen in any region on the planet, it is not a professional League.

The OP is as thick as a brick outhouse!

[sydneyfc]

participation numbers for rugby league nationwide are poor

[Raiderdave]

:_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<> :_<>

oh when will these fucktards learn

Rugby League has never been stronger on the sunshine coast you fumbling fucktards
it is one of the 8 different places vying for a side in the NRL in 2018
this bloke is just poserting to get some attention for their bid
RL is really the only sport in town

the fumbles & feebles has a few ex pat t.ards up that way
& they derp & miss on an oval or 2 in their little singlets & tiny tiny tight shorts
but
like everywhere else in QLD .... they're laughed at by the locals


there is nothing surer
its Jonathon Thurston of cowboys , Qld & Australians fame that Sunshine coasters talk about
not
Jane Browneye from the dead broke paddle pop wions
they'd barely know who that clown is

[Raiderdave]

participation numbers for rugby league nationwide are poor

hmmmmmm

1.8 Million is poor is it wanker ?
more then every other sport in the land

including Sooker & their bouncy bouncy brigade
but of course
you don't even follow wendyball do you pretender

[Raiderdave]

Bizarre that the primary reason they list for falling participation (lack of jobs) doesn't seem to be affecting AFL numbers in the area.

well that's easy to say when the figures are fudged dickhead

[sydneyfc]

participation numbers for rugby league nationwide are poor

hmmmmmm

1.8 Million is poor is it wanker ?
more then every other sport in the land

including Sooker & their bouncy bouncy brigade
but of course
you don't even follow wendyball do you pretender

post some links or don't even bother posting at all pissy boy

every source of infomation i can find seems to point out that soccer is head and shoulders above every sport in this country for participation numbers across all ages

followed by aussie rules and cricket

then league, netball and union which are neck and neck
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf ... enDocument
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf ... May%202009
http://www.convictcreations.com/footbal ... stats.html
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/socc ... 2xcg0.html

69000 results on google alone with even more cold hard facts!

[Fred]

Listen,I spend a lot of time on the sunny coast ... Here as a type .. And go to the Aussie rules a lot ... Let me tell you that rl is by far the dominant football code .... Don't believe the hype .

[Drac]

Rugby League has never been stronger on the sunshine coast you fumbling fucktards

It has 6 teams now, when it recently had 8. A logical person might argue that Rugby League was stronger when it had more players and teams? If smaller numbers of players and teams is your test for strength, surely AFL (which has less teams and less players) is stronger than rugby league on the sunshine coast. Under this logic ultimate frisbee is probably a juggernaut of strength.

Or, you could simply admit that Rugby League has hit a rough patch on the sunshine coast, and isn't quite as strong as it once was.

[cos789]

Listen,I spend a lot of time on the sunny coast ... Here as a type .. And go to the Aussie rules a lot ... Let me tell you that rl is by far the dominant football code .... Don't believe the hype .

Yes, but rl is on the decrease and AFL is on the increase which is what matters.

[Fred]

Well I'm not sure of that but AFL on Sunshine Coast definitely has a presence but they are all nrl mad . Compared to the Gold Coast AFL is very minor in the Sunshine Coast. Went to the surf club and AFL on a small TV in corner ... Compared to Gold Coast surf club or pub and it has equal billing. Just a small example. Tell what is big up there though is union.