Players carry on for love of game

THERE may be no formal rugby league competition in Cairns this year but dedicated footballers are training in the hope of playing the game they love in 2020.

Brothers is one of three Cairns District Rugby League clubs – alongside Ivanhoe Knights and Tully Tigers – pushing to get on the field in some capacity despite the cancellation of the senior competitions a fortnight ago.

The Northern Pride are also part of discussions after the Intrust Super Cup was among the four Queensland Rugby League statewide competitions to be cancelled.

Paul Stevens was set to coach a strong Brothers outfit in this year’s CDRL senior competition, the club recruiting and about to field one of the strongest sides in the local league. But now the coach is running training drills and fitness sessions with a group of players who simply want to get on the field.

“We’re still trying to play some kind of rugby league this year,” Stevens said.

“It’d be good to get something off the ground, even if it’s like six to eight games. As long as we have got a team we’ll try to get a game going.”

Stevens took his side through a non-contact training session, abiding by the club’s COVID Safe plan, on Monday night.

Roughly 1700km away, the Gold Coast Rugby League set a date to return and a senior club, which had previously given up on the year, held an emergency meeting to see about fielding a team in the GCRL.

The CDRL has to date shown no sign of changing its decision, but for Stevens and the players, who would likely not be paid for their efforts in 2020, the drive and desire to keep training has nothing to do with premiership glory.

They are spurred by a love of the game, a game that could give up some crucial ground to rival football codes if they don’t have a product.

FNQ Rugby pounced minutes after the CDRL’s decision was made public, while Aussie rules, football and netball clubs will embrace any player keen to try their sport.

“I’d like to avoid losing players to other sports,” Stevens said. “We’re playing for the love of the game.”

Townsville, Mackay and Brisbane are three other key regions with senior competitions still in play for 2020.

The Cairns District Junior League last week deferred a decision on its season until a meeting at the end of the month.

The biggest hurdles are the allowance of crowds and the burden placed on volunteers to adhere to COVID Safe plans.