‘Writing was on the wall’: Shearers withdraw from top grade

ORMEAU Shearers A-grade coach Peri Creamer laments a lack of playing numbers and inability to capitalise on a strong 2020 season as the reason the club withdrew its team from the Rugby League Gold Coast competition.

With the season set to commence on May 8, the Shearers dropped a bombshell on the competition when they confirmed their exit from the Agrade competition this week.

“The goal for me was to get to Round 1 and see where we were at but, realistically, we knew we’d be playing Round 1 and then telling Rugby League Gold Coast we couldn’t (play anymore),” Creamer said.

“It was better to do it now than later.”

Creamer, who was to enter his second year as Ormeau’s A-grade coach, said he all but made the decision to withdraw after the second round of preseason fixtures.

“I saw the writing on the wall after the second trial,” he said. “We didn’t have enough there to compete as an Agrade squad for the whole season.

“I spoke to the club about it on Wednesday because we knew the season launch was coming (that night). We couldn’t pretend.”

Creamer joined Ormeau last year and, though the club managed just one win in 2020, it was much more competitive than its ladder position showed.

“I thought the 2020 season, with COVID, helped us. I thought we’d turned a corner,” Creamer said.

“We were very competitive. Players came from everywhere to play for us.

“I really wanted to build on that (this season) but it just wasn’t happening. The guys who play for Ormeau are not from Ormeau, so they’ve got to come from out of the area to get to training and stuff.

“We had a solid group there and it was competitive, but it wasn’t enough to be able to compete in A-grade week-in, week-out.

“It’s disappointing but I still had a good time with the guys and the club.”

Creamer said his focus had now shifted to coaching the Gold Coast Vikings under-20s team in this weekend’s Chairman’s Challenge in Brisbane.

“That’s kept me focused and been a bit of a distraction you could say,” he said.

“I’ll get through that and then have a look at what’s next for me.”

The Bulletin also made attempts to get comment from the Ormeau club.