QRL boss aiming to keep players in the game

THE boss of rugby league in Queensland has hit back at claims the game has “gone soft” as he prepares for another term in charge.

Queensland Rugby League chairman Bruce Hatcher will today be re-elected to lead the game’s direction in the state for a further three years.

Hatcher, 74, is expected to head into today’s annual genTHERE’S eral meeting unopposed and extend his tenure at the helm of the QRL until at least 2023.

A career accountant, Hatcher has focused on professionalising the QRL since taking up the post in 2017. The QRL has undergone significant staff changes under his leadership and Intrust Super Cup clubs are now receiving $500,000-a-year in funding.

But the game has also encountered turbulence as it battles concerns over player safety, particularly in juniors, and participation struggles.

Controversial junior tackle bans have received a mixed reaction, but Hatcher said he was determined to do what was best for the future of the sport.

“Participation needed addressing,” he said. “Every sport is finding the numbers game difficult because there is more influence, from parents more than anything, about what they want their kids to play.

“We want skill acquisition and enjoyment evident from day one. There is too much short-term thinking around winning premierships when you’re six years old.

“That has been a primary focus. It’s been met with a lot of resistance as if we’ve gone soft, but we haven’t gone soft. We want to keep people in the game longer.

“We’ve been very concerned with the churn rate in the women’s game. A lot of people are trying it but quitting it. We’re putting more resources behind it and creating more competitions for the women.”

Hatcher believes the QRL is a stable organisation which has improved across its three divisions – northern, central and south east.

The QRL’s managing director Robert Moore is approaching a decade in the role and COO Rohan Sawyer was a key appointment since Hatcher took over from Peter Betros.

At the elite level, Queensland has lost the past two State of Origin series and Hatcher is hoping to turn that around by investing in game’s pathways.

Hatcher said the QRL would investigate whether to follow the NSWRL and introduce a concussion substitution for all of its competitions.