If the CRL isn't dead, it's on its knees

While there is no doubt there is more competition with other sports in the bush in the last 20 years,the main reason for a lot of the decline is simply down to demographics. Particularly the smaller towns are in demographic decline so to assume everything will stay the same as it was 30 years ago is an unreasonable expectation. And the CRL is not alone I have heard of similar patterns in south Australia and Victoria for Australian rules football. But I do think that the ARLC should and can be doing more but unfortunately the Sydney NRL clubs and NSWRL have been holding my the game to ransom for the past 18 months and the recent bargain struck means the promised $100m extra has been reduced to only a 65% increase on existing funding. while a let down this money will still be beneficial and hopefully see more development officers,better facilities and some costs covered. I would like to see the CRL and NSWRL pathways integrated into one clear junior structure from u6 to junior reps to state cup and finally NRL. What we have at the moment is far too concentrated in Sydney and leaves kids having to move at a very early age to access elite coaching. if the funding is applied surely U16 and u18 rep sides representing say 4 regions of country Nsw could be just as competitive as some of the sides currently in junior reps, I am thinking of regions like Western Nsw, Riverina, North Coast and new england. obviously there would be a few big scores against the likes of Penrith and others but it's about inclusion and development at this level Let's give them a chance to see what replaces city-country. If we get a round of footy played in rural NSW and Qld, with a heavy focus on local engagement in the week leading up it would be a worthy solution.

probably only time the average folk get a chance to see them play. the rugby can't get a free-to-air TV deal done (even then it's only an average crowd attendance of about 17k for their 7 home matches each year in sydney). whenever an nrl game is in a regional area it sells out as well (i.e. bathurst). not much happens about the bush... take something out there from the big smoke, they'll attend.

On the weekend the Waratahs played the Brumbies in a Super Rugby trial in Mudgee. Not only did the ground sell out in days, but both teams were in the town in the week leading up to the match doing promotional work...

The big clubs in Newcastle, Wollongong probably won't need handouts from NRL but there are probably 200 ? Country clubs that are in need of financial support. Even if you gave each club $20k each they need to have some sort of plan and what they are going to with it. I think they need to have some sort of plan and submit it it to CRL for appraisal. As I said some clubs have their own licensed clubs to support themselves and obviously don't need it. Two prime examples are West's Newcastle and wyong who have huge profit's (million's).

Big Daddy, your right. Handing cash out to struggling clubs/leagues would be difficult to monitor, that's the problem. If the town is big enough population-wise, with passionate volunteers, they'll get the support and survive, and won't need hand outs.

Your right Norad, smaller regional towns will struggle to field teams in all open age sports due to shrinking population in contry towns. Youngsters move to larger regional centres, or capital cities for further education, wor, greater opportunity and greater access to services that is not available if their shrinking home towns. If they are keen, they will continue to play sport. As some have pointed out, certain country league teams (and other sports) are doing well, where the population is larger and stable. I don't see how the NRL can help solve teams folding or merging. I can't see how it's the NRL's problem or how they will stop population decline in smaller regional towns.

I would to see the NRL instruct clubs that they are to play a minimum of two home games in country areas a season. Allocate an area to the different clubs for them to play their two games and to provide coaching clinics for those areas. At present the whole business seems rather haphazard.

I used to play in Group 20 and later in Group 17. No more Group 17 and Group 20 is down to 9 teams. Same with the eastern side of the Riverina. There were two groups, 9 and 13.Group 13 is gone and only 11 teams in Group 9. In the same area there are four AFL competitons. Rugby league may be king in Qld but it is being left behind in southern NSW. As Swanny pointed out the NRL does sfa for country footy. The clubs are only interested in getting a good young bloke, taking him to Sydney and putting him in a school and the country club gets nothing except at SOO time when it might say Same Smith from the Hillston Bluebirds. I don't have any time for the City v City (sorry Country game). It was a great rsponse in country footy when a country residents team beat the big boys from the city. Now it is just a virtual city probables v possibles game. Bring back proper country involvement and it would be great.

Unfortunately Dean i made the move in the 80's. Now living in SEQld. My kids are Q.....Q....Que..still cant say it.

If the NRL do give tens of million dollars as Todd Greenberg has quoted to CRL who is going to control the funds - the NRL, nswrl or CRL and how do they qualify. There will certainly be admin costs involved and also how will these funds will be utilised - I.e. ground improvement , payments ( certainly hope not ) referees . the list could go on. And also will it go to club or the particular country group to then administer. There will always amateur officials trying to do the right thing but have no business acumen. I really feel for these clubs who are doing it hard as they try to attract players to their respective clubs.

Bush footy in the Hunter Valley is still strong (albeit Port Stephens keeps letting everyone down). The old Sydney Firsts vs Country Firsts getting chopped spelled the death of City vs Country. NRL has no foresight; takes for granted RL juniors & seniors alike; and has turned the premier competition into a circus riddled with controversy and constant rule changes.

Plenty of jobs up here as well! Rent out your city abode and make the move. It will add 10 years to your life.

You lucky bugger Dean. 3 places i fell in love with on first sight. Wannaka, NZ south island. Ulladulla , south coast NSW. Best of all Coffs Harbour. Wins by a country mile. Climate, beaches golf and now a well looked after RL presence. All I need is a divorce.

There are a lot of girls and young women playing soccer (14% combined rate) and netball (8% combined rate). Rugby League has a 4% participation rate - meaning there are around 2600 people playing NRL rules in Coffs. This is only marginally under outdoor cricket rates of 4.5%. Touch Football though, is now being played by more than 7%. Coffs does alright - and the areas surrounding it attract healthy crowds because of the dedicated media attention from the local Prime 7 news, radio, and print media. The local pubs are keen sponsors, and the council rates events that bring family and community together as their number one priority. Having The World Rally here annually is another biggie. Being able to easily handle a huge influx of visitors with spacious and affordable accommodation, is what sets the place apart from Sydney and Brisbane. Flights are only 40 minutes from Sydney on TigerAir for around $130 return.

Its all about money. There are still a lot of rich country rugby league clubs e.g Wests Newcastle, Wests Wollongong, queanbeyan, wagga, wyong, who gave obviously thought ahead. Yet as one of the roarers said some clubs still have to rely on pub raffles etc. That is why the NRL. CRL need to inject some funds into the poorer groups ,clubs etc.

Nowhere else Dean! Ive heard soccer participation numbers both junior and senior Quadruple Rugby League numbers up there..

Plus the Gladstone league had to virtually merge with Rockhampton so their clubs had somewhere to play. It looks much better for the region when the 3 Gladstone teams that were able to field 3 grades joined with the 3 Rockhampton teams, 2 Capricorn Coast based teams (one of whom gave their reserves slot to Woorabinda who ended up winning the comp) and a team from Biloela than having both cities play a 5 team comp amongst themselves (2 Gladstone league clubs were only able to field one men's team and a women's team). There are times where the local comp is as popular as the Capras (Q Cup team, now a Titans affiliate), basically because they suck and they rely too heavily on rejects from the Under 20s who will probably never make it. For comparison purposes there's 9 local World Game clubs playing in the top division in the region (1 from Emerald, 3 hours away, 1 Yeppoon team, 1 Gladstone club who also field teams in the Gladstone comp and 6 from Rocky), 6 Union teams who finished last season, and 6 Aussie Rules teams (3 from Rocky)

Bush footy seems to thrive here in Coffs. The Group 2 games are great to watch and the crowds are pretty good. The area is made up of teams from Grafton, Woolgoolga, Orara Valley, Coffs, Sawtell, Bellingen, Nambucca, and Macksville. The locals know how to organise half decent food at the grounds, and the drinks don't cost an arm and a leg. $5 admission for all three grades provides a cheap day out for the entire family. The local news service provides excellent coverage for all teams. Local pub meat raffles and Bunnings BBQ's provide plenty of additional funding for clubs. The Coffs population is set to jump from 65,000 to 100,000 by 2030. The surrounding beachside towns of Nambucca and Woolgoolga also have populations that will go close to doubling within 15 years. The Blues selecting their home base in Coffs Harbour, plus the annual World Touch Football being played here helps significantly with local interest and junior participation. The future for all forms of rugby league looks incredibly bright for the Coffs area.

Take your point Matt, but I think you may be looking at country Qld through rose-coloured glasses. Take a look at all the Qld towns that used to support two, three or four RL clubs and see what the situation is now ... Gympie, Bundaberg, Maryborough, Roma and plenty more. League is still the dominant code in country regions but is struggling on a lot of fronts. Grassroots footy has been treated abysmally by the ARL and NRL who are besotted by the elite level of the game which receives lop-sided funding. Ask any long-serving volunteer on any country club committee how tough it is to attract players, sponsorship, funding etc and I guarantee what the answer will be ....

blah blah blah. Don't live a bubble. Blame NRL everything. Country towns are dying across Australia and obviously that means their footie clubs fold too. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/expert-opinion/michelangelo-rucci/as-country-centres-lose-their-population-base-they-are-at-risk-of-losing-their-footy-teams-and-their-community/news-story/19de28010b2bc107115b5f2c2e6cc655 Monday night marked the third “crisis” meeting in a month for the Murrayville Football Club, in a scene that is happening again and again across regional South Australia as country centres lose their population bases and lifeblood to their sporting groups..