South West Robins coach Shane Rampling has pulled back the cover on the season from hell to allow outsiders a glimpse of what he, his team and the team’s supporters are experiencing.
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And as you’d expect, it is not pretty.
Following a 90-0 loss to North Tamworth at Scully Park on Sunday, Rampling spoke candidly about one of the toughest seasons he has endured in rugby league.
He also spoke about what he described as the current imbalance in First Division – the “survival of the richest clubs”.
“There’s just not much you can do,” Rampling said.
“We’re down on troops, down on numbers, down on experience.
“We’re just fighting hard, trying to get through the rest of the season as best we can. There’s not much else you can do.”
When it comes to fixing First Division, Rampling is not sure what can be done, but he is sure of one thing: it is in a “big hole”.
“It was always going to be tough [for the Robins this year],” he said.
“It’s just the way bush football is going at the moment.
“It’s just getting beyond a joke the way it is panning out. The way First Division is in a big hole at the moment.
“It’s survival of the richest clubs at the moment. That’s what it comes down to.”
Rampling said the Robins desperately needed experienced players but “at the moment we’re not financially attractive for good players”.
“Unless something drastically changes next year, I fear for rugby league in the area, I really do,” he said.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
