Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Was talking to one of our committee who has in turn been talking to various persons in the Subbies hierarchy about our potential move to Division 4. Signs are good with approx 40 blokes attending pre-season training - though in part that is because we have our massive Maori Tournament on in a couple of weeks (see http://www.renegades.net.au/index.php?pageid=2&articleid=90 for more). Hopefully they all stick around and can make the kickoff on Saturdays!
Apparently Subbies wanted us to move up last year but we didn't have the numbers and wanted to consolidate our second year before moving on. I believe their reasoning was that 4th Div turned out of be a 7-club comp which is a bad look when the two lowest divisions had 8 and 13 respectively... Even if we go up, I can't see Chatswood and St George going the distance.
Subbies are bemoaning the lack of genuine competition in 5th Division and they've got a point - clubs are struggling to field teams in the three lower divisions. Of the clubs we played against last year:
- Fairvale could barely field two grades all year (after being 4th Div in 2007!) and will probably go down to 6th Div
- Lane Cove will probably sit tight in 5th Division and look to launch back to 4th Div for 2010
- Norwest were struggling badly and look likely to dive to 6th
- Notre Dame have issues where some of the student body have moved on. Their second grade side didn't win a game all year though their Firsts were very competitive
- Jokehill will probably meander around 5th Division because their First Grade would have no hope up against the big surfie sides in 6th Div
- Roseville were barely in 5th Division as it was - a favour to Subbies - and they'll go back down
- Sydney Harlequins aren't going to have the numbers to move back up with us according to one of their blokes, so they'll try and win a second consecutive First Grade premiership and then consolidate
Worst case scenario out of all of this is that we get a 6-team Fourth Division (Merrylands, Canterbury, Hills, Macquarie Uni, Liverpool, Renegades) and Subbies have to figure out who becomes the sacrificial lamb in 5th Division. If Fairvale, Norwest, Notre Dame, and Roseville all drop, then 5th Div is going to be reduced to 5 teams if St George and Chatswood also drop. I'm sure Chatswood will argue their case but the evidence is there: the last two seasons they've canned Third Grade about halfway through. Not a good look.
More worrying perhaps is that 6th Division starts to get overcrowded - there were 13 sides there last year and while I believe one of those will be kicked out (Bankstown - hideous disciplinary problems and a card count to rival Dayglo), it could end up being a 16-team comp which is a joke in an 18-round comp. They'd have to split into pools for one round, then split again for a second round to make things fair; its too hard to judge a club's ability based on past performance when different blokes are showing up each week.
Its sad times for lower level rugby. People just don't have the time and with more people working weekends, getting to kickoff for lower grades on a Saturday is bloody difficult. No easy answers I guess ...
Apparently Subbies wanted us to move up last year but we didn't have the numbers and wanted to consolidate our second year before moving on. I believe their reasoning was that 4th Div turned out of be a 7-club comp which is a bad look when the two lowest divisions had 8 and 13 respectively... Even if we go up, I can't see Chatswood and St George going the distance.
Subbies are bemoaning the lack of genuine competition in 5th Division and they've got a point - clubs are struggling to field teams in the three lower divisions. Of the clubs we played against last year:
- Fairvale could barely field two grades all year (after being 4th Div in 2007!) and will probably go down to 6th Div
- Lane Cove will probably sit tight in 5th Division and look to launch back to 4th Div for 2010
- Norwest were struggling badly and look likely to dive to 6th
- Notre Dame have issues where some of the student body have moved on. Their second grade side didn't win a game all year though their Firsts were very competitive
- Jokehill will probably meander around 5th Division because their First Grade would have no hope up against the big surfie sides in 6th Div
- Roseville were barely in 5th Division as it was - a favour to Subbies - and they'll go back down
- Sydney Harlequins aren't going to have the numbers to move back up with us according to one of their blokes, so they'll try and win a second consecutive First Grade premiership and then consolidate
Worst case scenario out of all of this is that we get a 6-team Fourth Division (Merrylands, Canterbury, Hills, Macquarie Uni, Liverpool, Renegades) and Subbies have to figure out who becomes the sacrificial lamb in 5th Division. If Fairvale, Norwest, Notre Dame, and Roseville all drop, then 5th Div is going to be reduced to 5 teams if St George and Chatswood also drop. I'm sure Chatswood will argue their case but the evidence is there: the last two seasons they've canned Third Grade about halfway through. Not a good look.
More worrying perhaps is that 6th Division starts to get overcrowded - there were 13 sides there last year and while I believe one of those will be kicked out (Bankstown - hideous disciplinary problems and a card count to rival Dayglo), it could end up being a 16-team comp which is a joke in an 18-round comp. They'd have to split into pools for one round, then split again for a second round to make things fair; its too hard to judge a club's ability based on past performance when different blokes are showing up each week.
Its sad times for lower level rugby. People just don't have the time and with more people working weekends, getting to kickoff for lower grades on a Saturday is bloody difficult. No easy answers I guess ...
