Teams from Tamworth, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst and Wagga forming part of a statewide league was among a series of proposals floated on Sunday.
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Wellington was the venue for the Western Rams Rugby League boundary review meeting where a series of proposals and ideas were put on the table.
Identities from almost all the region’s competitions attended the meeting, designed to discuss any possible competition structure changes in the future.
An outside consultancy agency also attended the event to gather the ideas and put them together in a report.
That report, expected to be done in the next six to eight weeks, will then be put back to the regional committee for further discussion and feedback.
Group 11 was the most well represented competition at the meeting while there was also representatives from Group 10 seniors and juniors, the Castlereagh League, Group 14, Lachlan and District Junior League, the Midwest Rugby League and the Woodbridge Cup.
Country Rugby League’s Western regional manager Peter Clarke said there was a “good attendance” and “good discussion” but said any comment on outcomes would be pure speculation at this early stage.
The big dreamers of the Western Rams division, Dubbo CYMS chairman Kevin Walkom said a state league featuring country NSW’s biggest regions, including Group 4 taking in Tamworth and the North West, was mentioned.
Also floated was the idea of a western-based league featuring the likes of “Lithgow, Orange, Bathurst and Dubbo”.
CYMS kicked off the debate over competition structure last year when applying to move to Group 10, a move which was later denied.
“These meetings are a sign of the right direction. It’s a positive step,” Walkom said.
Walkom also offered his thoughts on the state league idea.
“It’s a concept we could possibly grow into but the first step is looking at our current competitions and the competitiveness of the current competitions,” he said.
“Getting better involvement from the community and getting the public to play the game.
“That will strengthen the base to have a state league type competition.”
Walkom was adamant, though, any possible change to structures in the future will not be made to “diminish competition”, but rather help boost it.
There was reportedly some hesitation to change at the meeting, but Clarke added nothing concrete would be revealed just yet, saying there was “no quick fix”.