NSW Rugby League: Group 6, Group 7, Central Coast competitions abandoned

Could a premiership be awarded if a finals series hasn’t been held? Can there be a Player of the Year, if the ‘year’ hasn’t been completed? One footy competition is considering this question.

Could a premiership be awarded to a team if a finals series hasn’t be held? Can there be a Player of the Year, if the ‘year’ hadn’t been completed?

These are the questions the NSW Rugby League board will answer as they meet next Wednesday following the decision to abandon competitions in greater Sydney, the Central Coast and Illawarra regions.

Group 6 executive officer Stephen Hazelton did not rule out crowning minor premiers or a Player of the Year in the abandoned season, saying the Group 6 board would consider the recommendations made by the NSWRL board before making their own call.

“If you take our seniors competition for example, they have played each other once,” he said. “We were about to start the back end of the season so it’s easy to say whoever is on top of the ladder could in theory be the minor premiers this year.

“Whether we award them premiers because we haven’t had finals, some people may have different opinions on that as well.”

In the Group 6 competition, Thirlmere Roosters are on top of the table, closely followed by The Oaks Tigers and Oakdale Workers.

Mr Hazelton said in some grades there was a runaway leader in the Player of the Year points tally but in other grades there were up to ten people on the same number of points, which would factor in the decision of the Group 6 board.

Other competitions, such as Illawarra Rugby League and Group 7 Rugby League, made it clear to NewsLocal no premiers or individual achievements would be awarded this year.

“There won’t be any player of the year awards, there won’t be presentations … and there won’t be anyone crowned premiers,” Group 7 president Scott McLaurin said.

“Every team didn’t get to play each other so it’s a bit hard … to classify someone as a premier when they didn’t get to play a full round.”

EARLIER – 2pm Monday, August 16

Thousands of footy players across greater Sydney can put the boots away for next season, with NSW Rugby League officially pulling the pin on park footy for the 2021 season.

A statement released by the sporting body said it had been “forced to accept the heartbreaking reality” that the competitions in greater Sydney, Illawarra and the Central Coast “have to be abandoned”.

Just one week ago major rugby league competitions, including The Knock-On Effect Cup, Jersey Flegg, and Ron Massey Cup competitions, were abandoned.

“It has become increasingly clear that with rising infection rates there can be, understandably, no NSW Government sanctioned road map out of the lockdown for sport at the moment,” NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said.

“It is equally clear that it will not be possible for this to happen in sufficient time to complete our season.

“In those circumstances, the board was left with little option but to cancel our community competitions in the greater Sydney region along with Central Coast, Illawarra and Group 7, notwithstanding the disappointment which this will cause to the many thousands of boys and girls, men and women who play in teams and competitions across that region.”

The decision was announced just 75 minutes after Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced there had been 478 new cases of Covid-19 and eight deaths linked to the disease.

Rugby league competitions in greater Sydney were first halted in mid-June, following the spread of the delta strain in the community.

NSWRL head of football Robert Lowrie said work was taking place to see competitions in regional parts of the state continue as soon as possible.

“The NSWRL will continue to work with local leagues, the Office of Sport and NSW Health to consider recommencement options in relevant areas,” he said.

“We wish everyone all the best and please stay home and stay safe during this time.”

Earlier today NSW Rugby Union made the decision to pull the pin on all Sydney and Illawarra competitions. Sydney Junior Rugby Union, NSW Suburban Rugby Union, Sydney Rugby Union which runs the Shute Shield, the women’s Jack Scott Cup and regular Schoolboy competitions were affected.