NOT QUITTING

CLUB FIRES BACK AFTER FORFEIT

COOLANGATTA Tweed president Stu Donnelly has declared his team will be back in action this weekend and has called for the Gold Coast District Rugby Union season format to be reviewed.

The Barbarians were forced to forfeit their Round 11 match against Griffith University Colleges last Saturday, leaving the table-topping Knights unimpressed.

Donnelly, however, defended their decision as a matter of safety after their playing ranks had been “decimated” by injuries and unavailabilities.

“We could have fielded a team last week but we have a responsibility for these players and there was no way we were putting some of them in the front-row against Colleges because if something happened to them it comes back to us and we could be sued,” he said.

“So we took that into context but we will definitely have a team out on the field for first grade and, barring more injuries, we will have a team for first grade for the rest of the comp.”

Donnelly on Monday told Round 12 opponents Surfers Paradise of the good news and hopes his club’s third-grade side will be on deck again soon.

The Barbarians are not alone in their depth being tested.

Two-time defending premiers Surfers are facing their worst injury crisis in years, with 18 players sidelined such as 2017 grand final man of the match Scott Moreton (suspected broken collarbone).

The Dolphins are unlikely to have reinforcements before their highly anticipated rematch against Colleges next weekend. The Knights won 22-21 in May to snap Surfers’ 42-game winning streak.

Donnelly believes the 21round regular season is too long and also questioned the move from 3.15pm to 4.45pm kick-offs for first grade for this year.

“It should only be two rounds (of every team playing each other, as opposed to three),” he said.

“I suppose if you are winning every game it is the same, you get a bit bored with it and when you’re losing, it is hard to keep everyone’s interest. There is such a divide in the comp that it isn’t funny.”

The Barbarians and Dolphins clash tomorrow at Glennon Park in Nerang.