Footy is synonymous with the bush. Regardless of which code you support, rugby league has been the at heart of many rural communities, and Tamworth is no stranger.
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League has been entrenched in West Tamworth, the code built around a club which cemented itself as the centre of town in days gone by.
What was West Robins is now the home of West Lions. A club with rich traditions, but one which is being talked about for all the wrong reasons.
Football players, officials, supporters and community members are coming to grips with the shock news major – and long-term sponsor – Wests Entertainment Group has pulled its lucrative sponsorship of not only the club, but the entire code.
It’s a massive loss, there is no doubting it. Tens of thousands of dollars for two clubs, in-kind sponsorship for the use of grounds and facilities as well as a financial boost for knock out competitions, women’s league tag, referees and the senior games.
It’s money like this that keeps this code on the field. Now it’s gone for 12 months, will the whistle still be blown? Officials at Oxley Diggers and West Lions fear it won't, but Group 4 is standing tall, maintaining its not in turmoil.
While it might believe it’s ok, it’s a slap in the face. Crowd numbers have been on a downward spiral for years, the supporter base is nothing like its yester-years, as families turn their back on a code which has been plagued by violence, unruly and anti-social behaviour for sometime.
Instead of talking about the dazzling plays or fancy footwork, the town – and the football crowd far beyond – can’t get away from the controversy.
Decade-long player bans, contrary conduct proceedings and video evidence is what people remember of this year’s Group 4.
The Wests Group made a business decision to turn their backs on senior league, and who can blame them.
They believe their business was being damaged by the troubled-league.
Bush footy shouldn’t be relying on one sponsor to propel or prop up the competition.
Players and supporters will be the ones to lose out if clubs fold, but there needs to be a governing group at the forefront that makes the competition grow, and maybe this development is the wake-up call needed to rebuild a generation of rugby league.
