RUGBY LEAGUE
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A TRAINING session tomorrow night could determine the fate of Cabonne United in the Group 11 competition with player numbers at the club so low they can't field one senior team.
Cabonne are crying out for players to join the ranks for the 2008 season with first grade coach Scott Olsson dejected when describing their confirmed stocks for this year.
“Not many, that's brutally honest,” Olsson said of players committed to the club.
The new coach, who was appointed after Dean Saddler retired and stepped down from the captain-coach role, revealed numbers in under 18s look “promising”. But the word devastating could best describe the situation in the two senior grades with only a dozen players on board.
Cabonne will hold its first training session tomorrow night at Dr Ross Memorial Recreation Ground, Molong and the club is pleading for anyone interested in playing in Group 11 this year to turn up and make themselves available.
“It will be a fairly significant (training session) because the committee are meeting again on Sunday to see if we move forward and continue to be viable in the competition,” Olsson said.
“So Friday night is a big night at Molong Recreation Ground.
“(Pulling out of Group 11 is) possible if we only get half a dozen players to a training session.”
The Kangaroos made the semi finals last year in their first season and the future of the merged Molong and Manildra clubs was looking healthy.
Retirements and player movements out of the club has depleted numbers with additions to team lists scarce.
Cabonne has regular first graders Rod Jones, Dwayne Fleming, Adam Gibson and Sheldon Thompson for the coming season but has lost a wealth of talent and experience with Saddler, Bubba Kennedy and Steve and Trent Morgan departing.
Olsson, who was the Kangaroos' trainer last season, would be devastated if the club had to fold.
The Kangaroos initially had a policy of trying to give as many Molong and Manildra players a game as possible but now realise they need to broaden their recruitment area.
Olsson would love to see people from areas like Yeoval and Cumnock join the club and he is not concerned about how talented players are, just as long as they have the numbers to field teams and remain in Group 11.
“When you play under the banner of Cabonne you have to attract players from the whole region because that is who you are representing,” Olsson said.
“I'm hoping for some handy players but I'm realistic that if we just get some players I'll be happy.
“It's more about quantity on Friday than quality.”
