CLUB IN PITCH PROBE CLEARED
Penalties hike for failure
Palm Beach Cricket Club has been cleared over any wrong doing following an “intense” investigation into the condition of a pitch they presented.
The incident has since prompted Cricket Gold Coast to prepare a memo to all clubs declaring harsher penalties would apply to anyone who hadn’t got a pitch up to standard leading into finals.
As Palm Beach pulled back the covers and hessian on the morning of day two of round 16 in Premier First Grade, it was evident that after the heavy rainfall that week, rain had soaked through to the pitch.
Cricket
Gold Coast secretary Michael Guy said it was evident the club tried to get a game on.
“We came to the conclusion following an intense investigation, weather permitted, they did everything they could,” Guy said.
“It is tough this time of the year because of the weather we get here in Queensland.”
Palm Beach playing-coach James McNeil said the club was happy with the outcome of the investigation.
“We never had any doubt that we did all we could, so it is nice to be validated by Cricket Gold Coast who followed their process,” McNeil said.
“We had blokes down there from 6am trying to dry the wicket. Even the juniors were on the super sopper, which is a testament to the club members. “We were pretty frustrated as well, given the position we were in and the possibility of being second place.”
The investigation has led to the association taking action if complaints were made about clubs not properly preparing a wicket, especially leading into finals.
“Evidently, if we receive a complaint that a pitch was not prepared, or seriously wet – and it is clear that is the case – then the club will receive serious penalties,” Guy said. “We all know what it is like this time of the year and we understand it can be difficult to prepare pitches. “But if it is clear that clubs have not done everything in their power to make sure a pitch is prepared, then they will face the consequences.
“We haven’t confirmed what those consequences are at this stage but as a committee we are still talking through them.” Burleigh cricket club were also cleared of any wrong doing
“There wasn’t a complaint made against Burleigh at all in the end,” Guy said.
“We looked at the photo’s that were sent but they still managed to get on to play some cricket.”
A swarm of confusion and concerns have been raised by grassroot Gold Coast union clubs questioning whether Rugby Australia’s “lower tackles, lower concussions” mentality will stay true.
Confirmed in November 2023, the new law stipulates an “illegal” tackle to be anything in line or above a player’s sternum.
While many have issued a nod of approval to RA for showing initiative, concerns linger as to whether concussion stats will in fact decline in a sport that is unavoidably physical.
As the 2024 season approaches, three Gold Coast clubs have already had their say about the move – What does is it mean? How have players coped? And the golden question: Will it make a difference?
MIKA TUFUGA, COOMERA CRUSHERS
“You can tackle someone pretty hard and it be legal and there’s still a chance that they’ll fall back and hit their head on the ground,” Tufuga said.
“It’s about the intensity and teaching our young ones how to fall to avoid concussions.“I’m hoping it will make a difference to concussions, but I don’t know if it will because there are other ways to get injured.”
A tall line-up coupled with several players boasting decades of rugby playing experience, Coomera’s biggest battle has been adjusting individual techniques to suit the change.
“It has been difficult, and getting the boys to change that dynamic has been a very critical part of our training over the last four or five weeks.
“The whole drop down below the sternum had been tough in the first couple of trainings but we’re quite rigid about what we say, stripping it back to basics. It’s something that’s at the forefront of our trainings every week.”
TE ARI MAHURI, NERANG BULLS
Mahuri takes over the Bulls from previous coach Yohan Huria and has made quick headway while in charge.
“We’ve been training for six weeks so conditioning is out of the way and we’re starting to get into our contact work,” he said.
“The boys were aware of the new rule, so we’ve been putting a bit of work around that area, which has been good.
“We as a club pride ourselves on our defence, but laws are laws and we’ve got to follow the playbook. I do see where the ARU are coming from.”
Although Mahuri said he saw RA’s viewpoint, he was firm on the mindset that high tackles were a tiny component contributing to concussions numbers.
“There’s more chance of getting a knee to the head,” he said.
”You can get a concussion from scrums and they’re not going to ban scrums, they’re not going to take out the lift in a lineout where you can get dropped and hit your head.
“I don’t think it will lower concussion rates, if anything, it will increase them.”
JOHNNY NGAUMO, SURFERS PARADISE DOLPHINS
“It’s just another change making players more aware,” Ngaumo said. “It’ll be a testing time for rugby.”
Similar to his fellow coaches, Ngaumo said he believed a lower legal tackle height would make little impact to the concussion stats littering both junior and senior rugby union.
“All the focus is on the first tackle but there are different variables that lead to an injury.
“If it means more parents will allow their kids to play – that’s the question you’ve got to ask.”