St Pat's looking at ground options as rain threatens fixtures again

Thankfully for players and fans the answer is trending towards 'Yes'.

St Pat's were forced to postpone their recent clash at home against the Wellington Cowboys when rain throughout the previous night left their field in an unplayable state.

However, Forbes Magpies fans can just about lock in their plans for trip east no matter the weather as the Saints move closer towards finalising a fallback plan for this Saturday's upcoming match.

The two multi-purpose fields, which sit between the two St Pat's and the two Bathurst Bulldogs fields, have been brought up as a possible alternative venue if the rain has its way again.

Those grounds weren't an option for the club at the time of the Wellington match on May 12 due to the winter rye oversewing works, which have since been completed.

Bathurst Regional Council manager for recreation Mark Kimbel said that the club have been exploring their options ahead of the weekend's matches.

"Bathurst St Pats are liaising with council in relation to alternative locations should inclement weather result in their home grounds not being suitable for use," he said.

"The multi-purpose fields in Hereford Street is an option that is being considered.

"It should be noted that use of any alternative field would be dependent upon availability and whether the integrity of that field would also not be affected by adverse weather conditions."

The Saints' hesitancy to play on a rain-soaked version of their ground comes with precedent.

The state of the field after their 2022 PMP elimination final game led to the club being fined.

"It is a conditional requirement of all user groups that utilise council facilities to ensure that playing surfaces are protected, used appropriately and are not damaged due to inappropriate use," Kimbel said.

"Sporting associations have a requirement to assess the areas intended to be used prior to each use to ensure that they are safe and suitable for the activities to be conducted and that it is safe and suitable to conduct the activities given the weather conditions."

While St Pat's declined to comment on the status of their planning for the weekend they did state that the club's juniors have been making use of the multi-purpose fields for training.

Come the end of the year it's expected that the Saints' own fields will no longer pose issues for the Bathurst club.

"Council is planning to commence the infield subsurface drainage works on the two fields at the Jack Arrow Sports Complex in November 2024, subject to contractor availability," Kimbel said.

St Pat's and Forbes Magpies are set to kick-off from 3.30pm this Saturday.