GROUP Three Rugby League chairman Wayne Bridge will decide whether to stand for the position next year before the group's presentation night, planned for Friday, October 8.
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Mr Bridge, from Wingham, took over as president in 2008, replacing Dick Clode, who didn't seek re-election. The president's position morphed into chairman following a change to the group's structure several years ago.
"I'm not 100 per cent committed to standing again,'' Mr Bridge, 61, confirmed this week.
"I'll announce my decision at the presentation.''
The group's annual meeting will be held on Sunday, November 14.
Mr Bridge admits he's lost a bit of enthusiasm for the job.
"I guess the last couple of years and the COVID break has made me think about it,'' he said.
"Last year we didn't have a senior competition, so I only had to go to under 16 or under 18 games. This year was cut short when we had to COVID surge and then the lockdown.
"So I started to have free weekends again and I've enjoyed them.''
During the season Mr Bridge attends games in an official capacity on Saturday and Sunday. This means arriving at grounds, anywhere from Tuncurry to Kempsey, at 10.30, half an hour before league tag, then heading home about 5pm.
Group officials have to manage the interchange procedure for every grade and often also assume the role of time keeper. Then there's unforeseen problems, either off on on the field, that have to be dealt with.
Mr Bridge's sons, Matt and Tim, have both played first grade with the Wingham Tigers, but due to commitments at other venues, he doesn't always get the chance to see them in action.
"Tim was playing in Scone a couple of years back and I only saw two games there. They made the grand final but I couldn't go because it was the same day as our grand final,'' he added.
Mr Bridge said he doesn't have a succession plan and that could influence his decision to stay on for one more season. He added that having a chairman from one of the northern clubs would potentially be a positive.
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"The northern clubs are always whinging that they aren't represented (on the board), but we don't get any nominations from there either,'' he pointed out.
"'Kel' (Geoff Kelly), from Port City, is the only northern official on the board.''
The current Group Three was formed in 1966.
Since then there's never been a president/chairman from a Hastings club. Bob Miller from Port Macquarie was a long serving secretary in the 1970s and into the 1980s, while Warren Kimberley was at Wauchope when he held the role of treasurer in the 1970s and '80s.
Mr Kimberley had moved to Taree when he was president in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Tony Pulbrook from Gloucester was president for two terms following the merger of the Group Three southern clubs with the then Group Three Saturday League in 1995. This resulted in Wauchope and Port Macquarie moving to Group Two before both eventually returned.