THE Group Three Rugby League season will now kickoff on Saturday, May 7.
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Possibly.
This was determined at a hastily convened meeting of clubs held at the Wingham Services Club on Friday, April 22 after the competition's Season Launch. Seven of the eight clubs were represented, with Taree City the only absentee. Taree City's launch was held the same night, the clash caused when Group Three had to change the date of their function due to a prior booking at the services club, the group's major sponsor.
The season was to start on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1. However, continued wet weather and resulting closed fields makes this impossible. Team training sessions have also been severely impacted due to shut fields.
The clubs agreed to put the starting date back to Saturday, May 7. The April 30/May 1 round will now be played later in the season, possibly on the June long weekend when no matches are scheduled.
However, Group Three chairman Wayne Bridge warned that May 7 is no certainty if the rain continues and fields remain closed.
"The final decision will be up to the councils,'' Mr Bridge explained. (Group Three covers three Local Government areas - MidCoast, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Kempsey Shire.).
"Councils control the grounds and if the grounds are closed then we can't play.''
Round two will see Forster-Tuncurry play Wauchope at Tuncurry, Port Sharks and Macleay Valley clash at Port Regional Stadium, Old Bar host Taree City and Wingham tackle Port City at Wingham.
Even if the weather clears the Old Bar Reserve is unlikely to be fit for play on that date, club president Andrew Wilkes confirmed.
Earlier in the evening coaches were interviewed as part of the Season Launch. While fully understanding the problem, all expressed frustration at the delay in starting the season, especially given the interruptions caused by the pandemic in the last two years.
Macleay Valley player-coach Anthony Cowan said tongue-in-cheek that there are plenty of fields available in the Kempsey area.
"We could play all the games there, have a Magic Round,'' he suggested.
