GROUP Three Rugby League may be forced to tinker with the format of the XX Trophies pre-season competition in 2016.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This follows the forfeit by Wauchope in the plate final scheduled for last Saturday afternoon at Wauchope.
This is the second successive year a club has forfeited the plate final.
Last season Forster-Tuncurry declined to play.
The plate matches are contested by losing sides from the opening rounds. Old Bar, Wauchope and Forster were involved in first grade.
Wingham had earlier forfeited the under 18 games claiming a lack of players because of cricket final commitments. This made a straight out final between Old Bar and Port City.
In first grade Wauchope defeated Old Bar 8-0 and were then forced to back up against Forster-Tuncurry before going down 18-6. Forster then had to take on Old Bar and clinched a final berth with a dogged 6-4 victory.
"Wauchope just said they'd had too much football and that they'd sustained a few injuries,'' Group Three secretary Barrie Smith said.
"Forster were also struggling a bit.''
Last year all the plate and shield games were played on the one day.
"We were virtually there from dawn to dusk, so this year we decided to split it over the two days,'' Mr Smith explained.
Mr Smith said the problem is with sides having to play back-to-back matches.
Should Macleay come back into the competition next year the problem will be alleviated as there will be an even number of teams playing on both days. Otherwise the group could consider inviting another club into the pre-season.
The Group Three season-proper will kick off on Saturday April 11, with the season launch to be held on Friday night at the Wingham Services Club.
THE final round of Group Three Rugby League's XX Trophies pre-season competition will now be played at Old Bar on Saturday and not Sunday.
Matches were postponed from last Sunday because of heavy rain and originally re-scheduled for Sunday.
However, Group Three secretary Barrie Smith explained that some clubs were reluctant to play on Sunday as there will be season launches planned for Saturday night.
The Group Three Junior League gala day will also be played Sunday and referees will be required for these games, while Group Three under 18s representative side will be playing a trial against Newcastle on Sunday and players involved there won't be available for their club sides.
Action will be underway from noon on Saturday when Taree City and Port Macquarie meet in the under 18 semi-final. Forster-Tuncurry and Wauchope clash in the other under 18s semi at 1.05.
Taree City tackle Port City in the first grade semi-final from 2.10 with Wingham and Port Macquarie to clash in the other semi from 3.35. There will be no final played in either grade, with the group to put a formula in place to decide the overall winners.
Meanwhile Old Bar in the under 18s and Forster-Tuncurry in first grade emerged victorious from the plate finals played at Wauchope.
Wingham forfeited both matches in the 18s, claiming a lack of players due to commitments in cricket finals. Old Bar then accounted for Port City 20-4 in the finals.
The first grade final wasn't played when Wauchope forfeited to Forster-Tuncurry.