‘Ludicrous’: Clubs respond to decision to end mid-season finals

The 2024 Toowoomba Rugby League season is set for a monumental change with the Madsen Rasmussen and President’s Cups mid-season finals no longer on the calendar. See how clubs have responded here.

Gatton Hawks celebrate after their victory over the Roosters in the 2023 Madsen Rasmussen Cup.

The 2024 Toowoomba Rugby League season is set for a massive shake up with the announcement that the Madsen Rasmussen and President’s Cups mid-season finals will no longer go ahead.

Instead the cups will be handed out to the minor premiers of each grade at the end of the season and all clubs will now have a bye on the weekend of May 18 and 19.

TRL president Joe Hannant said a major reason behind the decision to scrap the mid-season final was the concerns clubs had over potential season-changing injuries.

The decision - which was voted on by the TRL clubs - has drawn mixed reactions from clubs in the region, with some giving scathing criticism of the decision, while others have fully supported the changed format.

Check out some of the responses from clubs here:

Josaia Qalotaki of Brothers. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Brothers

“It is absolutely ludicrous,” Brothers president John Butler said.

“It is such a historical and prestigious day of rugby league in our calendar.”

“I have been there in three of them and it is a great day.”

Valleys Roosters U19s celebrate their 2023 President's Cup victory.

Valleys

“We were all for the change, the main reason being, you tend to put a massive effort into the final and run the risk of injury for the second half of the season,” Valleys president Cameron Love said.

“We have had injuries in them that have led to our season being over.”

Love said the club loved the history of the trophies but the impact it would have on the team was too great.

He also said the coaching staff would have mixed feelings about the clash when involved in the mid-season final, as they would want to win the trophy but at the same time wanted to remain competitive the following week against sides that had a week off.

Dalby

“Its time has passed,” Dalby president Dan Manley said.

“From our perspective, it has seen its day, you still have to pay everyone and you risk injury.”

Manley also said if clubs had voted to keep the mid-season final, they would have happily fallen in line.

Warren Draper celebrates his try for Wattles against Dalby in the 2023 Reserve grade President's Cup. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Wattles

“From the Wattles point of view, the trophies have a lot of history and we respect that history,” Wattles president Amanda O’Hallaran said.

“We are happy the trophy isn’t going to disappear but the mid-season game was difficult for teams with injuries and it can be a pretty tough game.”

She also said with the amount of injuries that are already impacting teams at that stage of the season, it was a good time for clubs to not have to play a high-stakes game.

Newtown

“It didn’t worry me,” Newtown president Peter Dann said.

Dann said he was shocked by the overall decision due to the tradition behind it and believed it was a good tradition, especially for the Newtown women’s side, who are one of the strongest sides in the TRL.

However, while he believed the mid-season finals were a good idea, he was fine with the overall outcome of the vote regardless.

“We were happy either way, we are in a rebuild at this stage so we are on the hunt for new signings,” he said.