League has no power to make Dogs play

ARLC chairman John Grant is disappointed in Canterbury’s move to block players from the annual NSW City-Country clash, but admits the NRL is powerless to stop them.

The governing body is drawing serious heat after the Bulldogs announced they have made their players unavailable for the representative round fixture due to a short turnaround.

The club face North Queensland four days after the Sunday match in Mudgee.

“It’s disappointing, not only for the fans, but also for the players. This fixture started in 1911, so it’s got 106 years of history to it,” Grant said.

“It’s the last game for very good reasons, which I’m happy to elaborate on. But it’s disappointing for everyone that the best players aren’t available to selected.

“However at the end of the day that’s the Bulldogs’ decision and they just need to explain it to their fans, to their players and NSWRL.”

But Grant says the league don’t have the authority to force the club to do otherwise, due to current rules where players must be rested from club games only on the same weekend.

It is believed the NRL won’t be altering the laws because the match is the last of its kind.

“There’s no rules that we’ve got that we can bring to bear to actually force players to play. And we’re not about to do that,” Grant said.

“At the end of the day, the clubs are responsible for the players’ welfare and they need to take into account all the other stuff that’s in play and that’s what they’ve done.”

Grant denied he was concerned the withdrawals would impact the rest of the representative round, such as the international triple-header on the Saturday.

England take on Samoa, Papua New Guinea face the Cook Islands, while Fiji also clash with Tonga in Campbelltown.

“The Bulldogs, understandably, have what they would deem a player welfare issue, and we’re very respectful of that. They’ve made their call,” Grant said.

“They’re the only club in that position as far as I’m aware. I think we just move on. I think it will be fine.”