RUGBY LEAGUE GOLD COAST CHIEF PUT UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
Rugby League Gold Coast is enjoying its tightest A-grade competition in recent memory but there is still plenty on the agenda for league boss Scott Dunshea. Connor O’Brien sat down with Dunshea to discuss all the hot topics.
A-GRADE
There has been a shift away from the dominant trio of Burleigh, Tugun and to a lesser extent Tweed Heads.
Currumbin, who have not played finals footy in years, sit on top of the ladder. The top six sides are particularly well matched but Bilambil and Ormeau have come close to landing upsets.
Dunshea lauded the evenness of the first 11 rounds as “really refreshing”.
The one issue remaining is that it has been nearly two years since Ormeau’s last win but Dunshea is pleased with their 2018 progress under Julius Kuresa.
“It’s obviously a concern that they are not winning games but they are being competitive and that was my goal for them at the start of the year,” Dunshea said. “They are heading in the right direction.”
EXPANSION
Dunshea feels the competition is well placed to grow but is non-committal about adding teams to the current eight in A-grade.
Helensvale have publicly stated their interest to promote; Mudgeeraba are believed to be in the same boat.
“It’s a discussion point but there are no guarantees there whatsoever,” Dunshea said. “A growth area on the Gold Coast is obviously at the northern end and at some point in time there should be another team up there. “The big criteria that needs to be met – obviously the ability to field competitive teams will be one, and facilities. But can the Gold Coast sustain 10 teams? Is the fin- ancial clout there from sponsorship to be able to have 10? And the quality, I would rather have eight teams right now and have quality games each week, which we have got.
“But if opportunities do present themselves and there is more quality players coming into the competition, then sure, we would be silly not to look into something like that.”
FINALS
Currently five teams out of eight proceed to finals in Agrade. Is it too generous a sys- tem? “It’s a debatable one isn’t it?” Dunshea mused. “You are giving more than half of your teams the opportunity to play finals. It’s not ideal.
“Does that mean you should only have four in the semi-finals? That’s debatable but we’re comfortable with five at the moment.”
PATHWAYS
Keeping players in the game between the ages of 15 and 19 is a major focus for rugby union right now and league is no different.
“It’s a challenge for all sports and we recognise that it is for us as well – what can we do to entice kids to stay in the game and not disappear?” Dunshea said.
“Next year we are going to change our age groups. So we’re going to do away with the 17s and 19s and go to 16s, 18s and 20s, which is in line with what the representative pathway is as well.
“We just feel that may help keep kids in the game and make it more sustainable for clubs to keep teams alive. Also
with the 20s, it gives those young men another year of development (before senior footy).”
TITANS
Dunshea met Gold Coast chief executive Graham Annesley and chairman Dennis Watt earlier in the year and has been pleased with the progress made in their relationship.
“I think there’s a bit of a change in direction and a bit more support being put into the grassroots,” he said.
“They are working hard at that. Hopefully we can see some more people on the ground and out to our clubs more often and reinvigorate that Titans brand amongst our kids.”
The NRL club have also had an increased presence in offering coaching development sessions led by Garth Brennan, Luke Burt and Craig Hodges. The plan is to hold three such sessions a year.
“The opportunity for the coaches here on the Coast to get access to that has been second to none really,” Dunshea said.
AMALGAMATION
A controversial motion to merge the Coast’s junior and senior leagues was given the green light in December of 2016. Dunshea believes the reshuffle has ultimately been a success.
“It’s got its teething problems as anything does but the process has worked quite well and the clubs are more engaged that way,” he said.
“You have got one entity ruling both leagues and a lot of clubs do have the same executives doing both junior and senior football so it makes sense.”