Ex-NRL star worried about TRL’s future as clubs struggle for players

One of league’s most famous heartlands faces a murky future, with one of its legends revealing the dearth of talent has forced them to bus in players or risk forfeiting.

Newtown’s A-grade coach and former Gold Coast Titan Ash Taylor (left) with player Cam Moodie, expresses the difficulties faced by struggling teams. Picture: Nev Madsen.

A former NRL player has grave concerns for the future of rugby league in Toowoomba, with a dearth of talent forcing some clubs to bus in players from outside the region just to field a team.

In what form a significant part of Toowoomba Rugby League’s review into the code, the well of talent has dried up so much that clubs are outsourcing just to avoid forfeiting games.

Ex-Gold Coast Titans playmaker Ash Taylor heads the Newtown Lions and believes the gaping hole has made for a murky future for a once proud league heartland.

“It’s definitely a concern that a number of clubs in the competition have been struggling to field a full 17-man squad this season,” Taylor said.

“I remember when I was a kid how strong and equally competitive the competition used to be.

“There were a heap of players from all around trying to play for TRL sides.

“Now, we have a lot of players that are leaving to play in other comps and some sides are struggling for numbers.”

The former NRL halfback accepts clubs struggle from time to time, however he does have concerns about TRL’s future.

Taylor said Newtown are not the only club relying on players from outside the region to fill squads.

“There are a number of teams that have players coming externally to fill a roster,” he said.

“I’m fully aware that teams will go through good and bad patches and that clubs struggle from time to time, it’s just something that you need to push through and improve, but it takes time.

“If I knew how to fix some of the issues currently in the comp I would, but I don’t know how we look as a league in the coming years.”

TRL A-grade rugby league, Newtown vs. Brothers (2022). Picture: Nev Madsen.

On the other side of the coin, TRL Chairman Joe Hannat has told The Chronicle that the onus is on the clubs to ensure that they are running themselves as effectively and sustainably as possible.

“How the clubs are operating and managing themselves is out of our (TRL) control,” Hannat said.

“There are a myriad of factors that influence how successful a club is or is not.

“The onus is on the clubs to do their best to field a competitive side and to make their club attractive to players.

“We (TRL) are fully aware of what is happening in the competition.

“We are still in the process of a league wide review.

“The review has been going for some 18 months now and I would say it’ll take at least another year to complete.”

Hannat explained that the review will take into account and address all internal and external factors that have an impact on the competition as a whole.

“We will implement strategic plans with the input of each club in: how to better the comp as a whole, how to grow the comp, if the current model is the most sustainable, and how we can assist those clubs in need of strengthening,” he said.

“We don’t want to stagnate so the review again will look at what we might change but also how we can improve.

“The league is aware of the environmental, societal and economic factors that have all had their own impacts on day-to-day life.”