Central North to try two-tiered competition

25th Nov 2013

By Samantha newsam

CENTRAL North clubs have decided change is the way forward to reinvigorate the competition.

At yesterday’s AGM at Barraba, the clubs voted to adopt a two-tier structure next season.

“Effectively what’s been voted upon is we play one round where every team plays everyone else,” president Peter Burke said.

“The top five will then split off to play against one another twice – so will the bottom teams.”

The top four in each tier will then play a finals series, with the top tier sides vying for the Heath Shield or Central North premiership, and the second tier sides a plate “or something”.

“What was behind the change is we’re trying to create an environment that caters for all level of rugby,” Burke said.

“This is a chance to do that.

“Only time will tell.”

The concern is the lop-sided results and apparent gulf between the top and bottom sides is damaging the competition.

They want to stop it before it becomes irreparable.

“In the end there was unanimous agreement that change has to take place,” Burke said.

There were some differing views on what form that change would take but in the end the two-tier model was passed resoundingly, he said.

The finer details are still to be worked out like kick-off date, and who plays who in the first round.

“What we’ll do is put together two or three different draws and email it out to the clubs for their preferences,” Burke said.

It is a two-year draw so – in the first round – teams that miss out on a home game fixture will play at home the next year.

The structure of the finals series has also been left open at this stage but Burke said there would be two sets of minor and major semi-finals, finals and grand finals.

The two-tier structure will only be for first and second grade, although the second grade competition will operate slightly differently again.

“Second grade will remain with their first grade side no matter if they’re in the top tier or bottom tier,” Burke said.

Instead, like things were, they will accumulate points, with the top four sides contesting one lot of finals and teams 5-8 another.

The junior competition is also being overhauled, although nothing has been decided yet other than rebranding the competition to Central North colts rather than juniors.

“We’ve formed a sub-committee. They’ve already met three or four times,” Burke said.

“They have several very good ideas on the table.”

As far as the 16s and 18s are concerned, it’s about getting them rugby every weekend.

Burke said they won’t be making up the draw until they know what teams they have.

That might not be until the start of the competition.

In past years, clubs have indicated they will be able to field sides but, when it’s come to the crunch, that hasn’t eventuated.

The draw discussions took up a majority of the time.

The other main order of business was the election of the executive.

That will remain virtually the same, with Burke returned as president for a third year.

The only change is Wayne McMahon replacing Simon Hood as registrar, with Hood stepping down.

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