League is set for a shake up in Wide Bay

Recommendations have been made to change the Bundaberg Rugby League and Northern Districts Rugby League competition for 2020.

Hayden Golchert reaches out to ground the ball for his first try of the evening.

LEAGUE: Clubs could be forced to move to different competitions next year if new proposals to shape the future of rugby league in Wide Bay get the go-ahead.

The NewsMail can today exclusively reveal a series of recommendations that will soon be voted on by the Bundaberg Rugby League and Northern Districts Rugby League.

The recommendations include the BRL being called Division 1 with sides required to field A-grade, reserves and under-18 sides to be eligible play.

For 2020 and 2021, teams will have to field an A-grade and either an under-18 or reserves team.

But by 2022 that will need to be all three grades.

The women's competition isn't affected by the proposals but the Queensland Rugby League Central Division recommendation is that all sides either have one, get one or strive to get one.

Six BRL teams would qualify for the new competition next year: Eastern Suburbs, Past Brothers, The Waves and Western Suburbs from Bundaberg and the Hervey Bay Seagulls and Maryborough Wallaroos.

Teams that fail to qualify for the competition would be moved into the Northern Districts Rugby League.

Teams including Biggenden, Isis, Maryborough Brothers and the Burnett Cutters would play in the revamped NDRL, joining Agnes Water, Miriam Vale, South Kolan, Avondale and Gin Gin.

"In essence there would a Division 1 competition with six clubs, the ones that played in A-grade this season," Queensland Rugby League Central Division chairman Danny McGuire said.

"Division 2 would be NDRL clubs with the others."

None of the recommendations have been voted on yet.

BRL chairman Mike Ireland said there was no complaints from their end and they would more than likely pass at their meeting but it would need to be discussed with the board.

NDRL chairman Neil Redfern said the association was happy with the mooted changes but wouldn't force any club to move unless they wanted to. He said the competition would work hard to ensure teams would be welcome if the changes happen.

The recommendations will be voted on at the annual general meetings of the NDRL and BRL on November 10.