While the return of under 18s sport is set to give a big boost to the region's ailing competitions, it's unlikely to provide any answers for Group 11's current Under 18s competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Group 11 Secretary Paul Loxley said while the Under 18s could theoretically play in a separate timeframe than the seniors now, it wasn't an idea he or the board had seriously considered.
"Our aim right now is to get as many people as possible playing rugby league, but if you wanted to do it that way, you'd have to look at how to do it in terms the days it would be possible to play," Loxley said.
"The juniors play on different days to us, so you have a situation where you could be clashing with them."
READ ALSO:
The Group 11 playing group and board are still in the dark about wether or not a season will come this year as the New South Wales Rugby League decision makers still haven't provided a clear start date, or answers to how clubs would remain financially strong without crowds.
"We've got 27 days right now to go and we're going to know what's going to happen on the first," Loxley said.
"We're holding off on making any decision for as long as we can right now, but we do have the question lingering of what day come where it'll be too late for us to organise anything."
While the return of several other sporting competitions, with many other codes resuming team training and junior sport starting back up from June 1, is cause for optimism, Loxley's still concerned.
"I'm hoping that as things come back, we'll be able to progress a bit, but it's all going to depend on whether the senior league games can have a crowd, we all agreed that it just wouldn't be viable without the crowds," Loxley said.
"Right now, all we can do is be positive and stay hopeful that it's going to happen before the end of this month."
If an announcement does come this month, Loxley wants the players ready to compete,
"I hope everyone's continuing to train, staying active and staying fit."
A quick announcement and a group wide meeting by mid month would give Group 11 the best chance of playing a season this year, according to Loxley.
"I would not like to think that we'd lose 2020, but in saying that, there's still a lot of ducks that have to align themselves," Loxley said.
Though the under 18s would still possibly be able to play in the event of a first grade cancellation, Loxley isn't keen on the idea of splitting the competition down those lines just yet.
"We wouldn't have a club if the kids played by themselves, the rest of the club just wouldn't exist at that point."
