THERE have been problems with this season's four team Manning T1 cricket competition and Taree United captain Josh Ferris concedes there's no easy fix.
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Taree United and Wingham have been the dominant two sides and are at prohibitive odds to play in the grand final next month. Great Lakes and Gloucester have both struggled to be competitive.
However, Ferris doesn't think this would lead to the resurrection of the Mid North Coast Premier League involving teams from the Manning, Hastings and Macleay.
The premier league started amid considerable hype in 2017-18 with nine teams involved. Four seasons later it was scrapped when only three sides nominated.
"I think that ship has sailed,'' Ferris said.
"Every (T1) team around here, and that includes us as well as Wingham, struggles for numbers. We're propped up by under 17s,'' he said.
"And if you're playing in Port or Kempsey, you're not a hope of getting the 17s because they play cricket in the morning and finish too late.''
Ferris pointed out the majority of the T1 sides also fielded players well and truly into the veteran class - aged 35 plus.
"They're just not interested in the extra travel - I know it's no further than going to Gloucester, but going there you turn it into an event, make it a bus trip and it's enjoyable, because it's only a couple of times a season."
He added that when the premier league first started he was a fan. However, he said the lustre, caused by the extra travel, soon wore off, particularly as there was little camaraderie between the northern and southern sides.
"If we went to a premier league we'd lose Gloucester and Great Lakes straight away,'' he said.
"There's no easy solution...maybe we have to hit rock bottom and go to a one grade competition before people start to realise that something has to be done.
Easy option
"There's enough good players around here, but too many chose not to play first grade because they want to take the easy option,'' he said.
"They want to play second grade and be the big fish in a small pond rather than working a bit harder.''
Ferris doubts there would be any interest in a premier league among Hastings and Macleay clubs. He understands a six side Hastings/Macleay first grade competition is now in place, with four teams from the Hastings.
"There's only about 30 minutes travel involved between Port and Kempsey,'' Ferris said.
There's enough good players around here, but too many chose not to play first grade because they want to take the easy option
- Taree United captain Josh Ferris
"Why would they want to come down here when they apparently have a successful first grade up and running.''
Old Bar fields three T2 sides and there's some chance of the club fielding a T1 team next year. Bulahdelah, the T2 powerhouse, has also been mentioned as a T1 possibility, although Ferris thinks it's unlikely.
"I know Old Bar has a number of young kids in the T2 sides and whether or not they'll be ready next year for T1 is the thing,'' he said.
"Bulahdelah has a lot of 14 and 15-year-olds and then blokes 40 to 45. There's not a lot of middle ground and being a one team club also makes it difficult for them.''
Manning Cricket president, Steve Campbell said decision about 2024-25 would be made during the off-season.
