DEAR Central West Rugby Union,
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We all make mistakes - the Wallabies hiring a kiwi as their coach still ranks as one of the all-time shockers.
Robbie Deans? Come on.
But more importantly, there’s no harm in admitting when we make a blunder.
I'll get the ball rolling.
Changing colts from under-20s to under-19s was wrong.
It's simply not working and, I believe, the measure is setting the competition back immensely.
The reasons were made clear, although they don't all make sense to me.
The first, to ease the transition for under-17 players moving into the senior competition.
Apparently, the three-year jump is too big. I question that.
It was never a problem in the past, why has it suddenly become an issue?
There is some sense in the argument the change means those 20-year-olds push up through the grades though.
The second, with the NSW Country Colts Championship switching to under-19s next season, lining up our competition with the representative program means there's some method to the madness, right?
Maybe.
For me, the main focus of the CWRU board should, exclusively, be fostering talent in this region.
That means not worrying about what the Illawarra competition want, or mirroring what the Hunter region is doing, and certainly not basing their decisions on what's happening in higher level representative competitions.
The focus has to be what's best for the Central West.
So, with clubs struggling for players because there just isn't enough under-19 players around, something has to change, doesn't it?
The only thing to do is change the colts age back to under-20s - now would be a pretty good start, too.
We've already seen Orange Emus and Dubbo Rhinos forfeit games, but apparently both clubs would almost definitely be able to field under-20 sides.
Ten-a-side rugby is being encouraged if clubs can't get enough colts players, but that's laughable.
Are we going to see 10s in the finals too?
And now clubs won't be penalised if they forfeit either, it's just not good enough.
With teams forfeiting and having no incentive not too, the clubs with strong colts teams - Orange City, Dubbo 'Roos and the like - will eventually suffer as well.
Colts has to be a priority, juniors feed up through the system to make clubs stronger. It doesn't work the other way.
Switching the age back to under-20s will affect third grade numbers, but so be it.
Having a strong first grade, second grade and colts team needs to be the goal of each Blowes Clothing Cup team and it needs to be a legitimate prerequisite for entry.
Not a 'if you promise us you'll try then we'll let you in, but not actually do anything about it if you don't field a team' prerequisite.
If it means third grade bites the dust, there's a little old competition called the GrainCorp Cup too, potentially strengthening those sides with a few extras wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?
The crux of it all, we simply have to avoid the comical Saturday morning colts fixtures and make the competition mean something again.
That means every team having a colts side, playing every single week - an under-20 player pool would massively increase the chances of that happening.
Not having an occasional under-19 game, with maybe 15 players a side, but only if you can get them, no rush fellas.
At the moment, the lackadaisical nature in which the colts conundrum is being tackled will eventually mean the concept falls by the way side and, with it, some clubs will too.