Is it any wonder rugby league in the country areas is struggling when players of the calibre of those who played for South Sydney against Dubbo Macquarie on Saturday are on the scrap heap.
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For the record Souths won 52-18, but the Souths players showed they would certainly be welcomed by any club in Group 11.
Could you imagine how good local football would be if the likes of former Sydney first graders such as Jeff Hardy, Luke Goodwin, Jacin Sinclair, Scott Wilson and Billy Moore were playing in the bush?
Go back to last year when Scott Fulton and Andrew Hunter were key members of the Macquarie premiership team. They lifted the game in this area to another level.
The same would happen if some of these Souths players were with Group 11 clubs this season.
None of the 17 players in the Souths squad are currently playing the game, their only form of enjoyment these days is having a run in the South Sydney touring teams.
But it was obvious these same players still have a lot to offer the game and they weren't lacking in enthusiasm when they tackled the Dubbo boys.
Their ability to take the ball to the defensive line and offload was too much for the Raiders who conceded nine tries.
With Hardy and Goodwin calling the shots in the halves, there was no shortage of variety in attack for Souths. Macquarie just didn't have the answers.
Ball security is so important in the modern-day game. Souths did it much better and again the Macquarie players fell down on the simple things.
With the National Rugby League competitions now designed around top grade teams, there is little room in the minor grades for older players.
Some have gone to the Metropolitan Cup, others to the Central Coast. It's just a pity country clubs can't afford to get their hands on a few of these players to bolster the local competition.
Unfortunately some of these same players made money out of the game while they were at the top, have a nice lifestyle in Sydney and the furthest thing from their mind is heading to the bush, despite their love for the game.
More's the pity.
For the Raiders it was a tough night but when they can field a team which contains Peter Boon and Luke O'Connor they will be competitive. But against Souths it was a different ball game.
SOUTH SYDNEY 52 (Peter Clarke, Robert Simms, Jason Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Jacin Sinclair, Troy Slattery, Luke Goodwin, Billy Moore, Scott Wilson tries, Ian Herron 8 goals) def DUBBO MACQUARIE 18 (Peter Boon 2, Jason Hill tries, Brett Chippendale 3 goals). Crowd: 1000.