Why Tannum Sands forfeit 4 senior games in Rocky Rugby League

The footy president responsible for a ‘pretty radical decision’ to forfeit all his club’s senior games in Rockhampton this weekend explains why he felt he had to act.

Tannum Sands take on Yeppoon in the Rockhampton Rugby League A-grade competition.

A mountainous injury toll and work commitments were, in part, behind a Central Queensland rugby league president’s bombshell decision to forfeit all four of his club’s senior games this weekend.

Tannum Seagulls’ boss Wayne Warry said he was as “upset as anyone” about making the call but maintained he did it in the best interests of his club and the safety of his players.

Their under-19, reserve grade, senior women and A-grade men, who play in the Rockhampton Rugby League, should have been headed to Rockhampton on Saturday to take on Norths Chargers in what was to be that club’s Old Boys Day.

Norths Chargers were set to host Old Boys Day on Saturday.

But with 21 players injured and a dozen more involved in work shutdowns in Gladstone, Warry decided on Wednesday to forfeit all four games, despite their women still being in a position to play.

Warry said Tannum had offered to provide remuneration to Norths to help with lost gate takings.

“Everything’s lined up the wrong way for us and if the players aren’t there, they aren’t there,” he said.

“I wasn’t going to stuff Norths’ day up by forfeiting a couple of games so I thought I may as well take the whole club out.

“This is a pretty radical decision. I don’t know anyone else who has pulled the trigger on a whole day’s football before.

“I’ve never heard of it - and I’ve been around for a long time - so I can understand people wondering what the hell’s going on.

Tannum Seagulls’ president Wayne Warry.

“But I’m the president of the club and the buck stops with me.

“It would be remiss of me sending players up there knowing they were willing to put their bodies on the line when they were injured and I wasn’t prepared to do it.”

Warry said he hadn’t seen such a large casualty ward within the club before.

“You name an injury, and I reckon one of our players has it at the moment,” he said.

“I honestly believe that if I didn’t pull this rein, we would have been dragging our reserve grade side out of the comp within a month.

“Now that we don’t play this week and have a bye next week, I’m hoping we can get these injured players back (on June 14) when we host Emu Park.

“One of the shutdowns will also be over by then so that should help us too.”

Norths Knights president Peter Mylrea was contacted for comments.