Plan raises stakes as well as eyebrows
GOLD Coast rugby will next weekend enter a farcical three-round pre-finals phase which has attracted the ire of the competition’s leading coaches.
The eight first grade clubs only learnt yesterday who their opponents would be for the next few games after Queensland Rugby Union management opted to split rounds 15, 16 and 17 into two pools of four, depending on where teams are sitting on the ladder.
The scenario is somewhat a result of Nerang’s last-minute withdrawal from the first grade fixture back in April, with the QRU devising a system aimed at giving players more game time and ultimately better value for money in the longer run.
But their answer has proven unusual.
The teams placed first, third, fifth and seventh will play off in another mini-round of games, as will teams currently in second, fourth, sixth and eighth.
With clubs battling injuries as well as a search for general player numbers, and the top four already set in stone, there is a feeling that the delay before semi-finals is unwarranted.
Perhaps more of concern is the way the pooling concept has been adopted in each of the three grades, meaning that clubs’ players will be spread all around the Coast rather than at one venue on any given weekend.
Given that every club relies on second grade players backing up on the first grade bench, it’s a situation that could contribute to more forfeits.
There has already been seven forfeits this year in first grade, with Coomera the latest to do so against Colleges on Saturday.
Though Surfers Paradise will avoid the drama of having their top sides being split up – as both are first on the ladder – Dolphins captaincoach
Kris Burton was against the format.
“The numbers in the competition, there isn’t enough to do 23 players per squad for every grade … where’s the common sense in it all?” he said.
“They should rank it on the first grade and wherever that first grade side is, their second grade follows.”
Colleges coach Graham Herlihy added it was “terribly unfair” that the highestranked sides – his are placed second – were handed only one home game in the three extra rounds, after they had already missed two home games due to opposition forfeits.
“We have missed out on a lot of revenue this year and we are going to miss out on further revenue,” he said of the schedule.
Semi-finals between the top four sides will begin on August 19, with the grand final set for September 2.
Surfers Paradise are guaranteed the minor premiership, while Colleges, Bond Pirates and Helensvale are squabbling over second, third and fourth places.
On Saturday, Surfers Paradise breezed past the Pirates 56-0.
“The fact that they didn’t score a point came down to our goal line defence because they spent a lot of time attacking our goal line,” Burton said of the Dolphins’ improved display.
Elsewhere, Gold Coast Eagles beat Coolangatta Tweed 20-10 to leapfrog Palm Beach Currumbin into fifth place.
The Alleygators meanwhile were pipped at home by Helensvale.