Still hope for other BRL sides if recommendations go through

Isis, Burnett Cutters and Maryborough Brothers can still enter the BRL if it meets requirements

TRY TIME: Isis player Zakarey Bainbridge fends off the Maryborough Brothers defence to score at Salter Oval on Saturday. Both clubs might be in a different competition next year.

LEAGUE: Queensland Rugby League Central Division chairman Danny McGuire says there is still room for clubs to return to the Bundaberg Rugby League if they are not one of the six nominated under the recommendations.

But the sides need to lift their standards to play there.

Under the proposals, which need to be agreed to by the BRL and the Northern Districts Rugby League, current BRL clubs the Maryborough Brothers, Isis Devils and Burnett Cutters would be forced to move to the NDRL.

All need an A-grade team and then either a reserves or under-18s team or ideally both for next year to be put in the BRL. By 2022 that would need to be all three.

Currently, the Cutters and Maryborough Brothers have a reserves team in the BRL with Isis fielding no teams.

McGuire said the sides would be welcomed and required to play in the NDRL if the changes happened.

“If they could field an A-grade team and other teams then they would be considered,” he said.

“We want this to be at the highest level and we want them involved in the community. We feel this is the right way.”

McGuire said he was excited by the news that Isis was on track to field an A-grade, reserves and under-18 side next year as was revealed by the NewsMail yesterday.

If it happened, the club would be included straight away to make a seventh team in Division 1.

The Maryborough Brothers, if moved into the NDRL, would have their seniors involved in that competition and their juniors staying in the Bundaberg Junior Rugby League.