Dora Creek Swampies confirm move into Central Coast Rugby League competition for 2024

There have been premierships, forfeits and accusations of a bush footy salary sombrero. Find out why the “most controversial team in country rugby league” is on the move.

The Dora Creek Swampies have confirmed a move into the Central Coast Rugby League division. Picture: supplied

The last few years have certainly been eventful for the Dora Creek Swampies.

On the back of some scintillating football, they’ve won an incredible six minor premierships and three grand finals over the past seven seasons to become the undisputed big guns of the Newcastle and Hunter Rugby League A-Grade competition.

But amongst all the success, they’ve also been drawn into scandal.

From on-field punch-ups, to crowd violence and accusations of having their own salary sombrero, the Swampies have also had their fair share of knockers – and have even been described as “the most controversial team” in bush footy.

But after another year full of both success and scandal, in which the club claimed back-to-back minor and major premierships, Dora Creek is on the move after officially being accepted into the Central Coast competition for the upcoming season.

The Dora Creek Swampies will play in the Central Coast competition in 2024. Picture: supplied

“Everybody’s really pumped, especially given the last couple of years and how everything turned out in the Newcastle comp,” said club president Harley Farrugia, who stated that the Swampies are confident of fielding teams in the first, reserve, open and women’s tackle grades in 2024.

“Everyone’s really excited for the new adventure and new challenge ahead, especially the older group of guys who’ve been around for a while – they’ve got an extra spring in their step and are raring to go.”

Located the southwestern shores of Lake Macquarie and just a short drive from clubs on the northern half of the Coast, Farrugia said the move makes sense on many levels and even opens up some extra opportunities for the club.

“Logistically, where we are, we’re pretty much smack bang in the middle of Newcastle and the Central Coast.

“There have been years when we’ve had Nelson Bay in our competition – that’s an hour. This year we’ll have Woy Woy – that’s 50 minutes. Travel-wise, that’s no different to us, and I think it’s helped us being in the Central Coast comp because we’ve been able to pick up some players from the Central Coast.”

And despite being asked by key rugby league figures on several occasions to join the Central Coast competition in recent years, there was one key issue in 2023 that finally made the Swampies jump ship.

“The biggest thing would be the forfeits every week,” said Farrugia. “Last year we played six games before going into the semis, then played one semi-final and one grand final: a total of eight games for the whole season. A normal comp is 14 games before semis; we didn’t even play half of that.”

The decision brings an end to the Swampies’ successful run in the NHRL A-Grade competition.

Concerned about the impact of taking on such a strong outfit like Dora Creek, opposition clubs claimed they forfeited games out of a duty of care for their players, with some alleging that the Swampies were using a “technicality” in the rules to pay players – something not allowed in the competition.

Dora Creek refuted the claims, saying that while some third-party sponsors assisted players with various things, the club itself did not pay them. The Swampies suspected the string of forfeits was part of a co-ordinated campaign against the club and say they lost around $40,000 in match-day income and even a sponsor as a result.

The forfeits weren’t the only issue, with Dora Creek officials claiming that players and officials had been subjected to a torrent of in-person and social media abuse, and that some of their players had been the victims of racial slurs.

“We have made a decision that we cannot continue to work in this environment and the players couldn’t withstand that constant abuse and forfeits,” first grade coach Dave Hoban said in November.

“The decision is in the best interests of the club moving forward and we believe is going to be a great decision. We want to go to a better standard of rugby league.”

The Swampies are hopeful of entering four teams in the Central Coast senior division. Picture: supplied

The decision to join the Central Coast division marks the end of a highly successful but tumultuous run in the NHRL, with the Swampies excited to kick off a new chapter in the club’s history.

“It’s all been said and done (in Newcastle). We’re just looking to move forward with a new adventure on the Central Coast. We’ve put all that behind us, put the trophies in the cabinet and we’re hoping to come to the Coast comp and add some more trophies,” said Farrugia.

Long the kings of the NHRL A-grade comp, the second tier of rugby league in the Hunter region, the club knows it will face a sterner test this season against the best of the Coast – but is nevertheless confident of making an impact.

“We’re going into a new comp, we’re going into a tougher competition, but when we knew what we wanted to do (move to the Central Coast comp) at the end of last season, we headed down to watch some of the Central Coast sides play, and in particular the grand final,” said Farrugia.

“I’d like to think with the team that we had last season and what from what we’ve seen that we’re a top-four team in the Central Coast comp. It’s certainly going to be different from previous years when we were undefeated and stuff like that.

“We sat down with our guys and said, ‘Look, we’re going to have to learn how to lose, we’re going to have to cop it on the chin, it’s going to happen. We’re not going to go down there and do what we were doing in the last few years.’ As a goal, I think if we can make the top four then we’ve done well.”

The Toukley Hawks claimed back-to-back CCRL premierships in 2023. Picture: Sue Graham

And while in recent years the club has been involved in its fair share of very public disputes and even been described as the “most controversial team in country rugby league”, Farrugia says he thinks the tag is unfair, given that certain high-profile issues - such as an ugly on-field brawl and crowd violence - were ultimately initiated by other clubs. He added that he felt the club’s disputes have primarily come from its success.

“In the competition we’ve come from, there have been teams in the past 10-15 years who’ve gone out and won a comp or two in a row and then that’s been the end of them,” he said.

“But we’ve been the top dog in that comp since 2019. The year before that, we were in the semis. The year before that, we went through the season undefeated and went out in straight sets, so seven years in a row in the competition.

“It’s a like the Roosters and Melbourne – everyone hates a winner and everyone wants to beat them. I think that was where a lot of that feeling came from.”

In contrast to its experience in recent years, the club has been warmly received by Rugby League Central Coast and fellow clubs, and as a result the Swampies are putting out the call to any prospective supporters to jump on board ahead of its historic season.

“We’re new to the Central Coast, I really think we’re going to be a dark horse of the competition,” said Farrugia. “So if there’s anyone who wants to jump on the back of a dark horse and get behind us as a fan or sponsorship-wise, we’re willing to talk. We want to be here for a long time and we want to be successful.”