should rocky mandurah merge

[ruckman]

i know same old threads keep coming up,, but with the situation rocky find themselves in now the fourth grade look to be gone for the season third grade perilously close to same, fourth grade player having to play whole game on wing against soaks first grade ,messages being sent out begging for players no fees needed.Mandurah strong in lower grades and juniors as well as rocky surely you dont have to be a genius to work out something is seriously wrong clubs only 15km apart,peel rugby has a certain ring to it,be a real shame to see someone getting seriously hurt if third/fourth grade players having to play prems unfortunately for kala lower grades lokks like a weekend off for you,beating neddies in thirds and fourhs without dropping players please give it a rest

[zed]

It depends what the issue is behind Rockys struggling performances. I would hazard a guess that there are players that live down there, that have opted to play for more fashionable, successful clubs rather than play for Rocky. If that is the case, and there are enough local players to make Rocky a successful club, then it's a matter of making the club more appealing to the decent players who have chosen to play elsewhere. If it's simply that there aren't enough players down there, then there ain't much they can do about it and a merge would make sense. I guess part of the reason Rocky are struggling for players this season, is they're losing and players lose interest and drop out. It's a vicious circle. The metro league needs an entire restructure. It's ridiculous of WARU to expect a club to field competitive teams in the top 3 grades. Some clubs just don't have the calibre of players to play in reserve grade. Teams like Neddies & Cott are blessed with fantastic depth & their reserve grade sides are like a second prems team, with most of their players capable of stepping up & playing prems. Whereas weaker clubs have third or fourth grade players playing reserves. This needs to be addressed. It would make sense for Rocky to have 1st, 3rd and 4th grade teams.

[MI5_Dog]

here's an idea (and I expect to get shot for this) but what about catchment areas. If a player doesn't live in a clubs catchment area then they can't play for that club.
Suddenly no more poaching of players.
>

[flanker7]

Mandurah-Rocky merge called Peel??? How bout bogan RUFC?

[safe hands]

I am all for keeping as many clubs alive as possible but you make a good point about having Prem's, 3rds and forths, yes the last thing any club wants is an injury but when you don't have depth. There should be other answers than bringing up players to feild teams. Why don't they buy in good players like everyone else when they could see the future was going to be dim.

[SirRichie]

That sounds like what happens when your at school.

[safe hands]

If they didn't rely so much on navy boys who go on ex and fifo they could field teams all year, you think they would have learnt their lesson by now.

[jono]

Do you see rocky moving out of the Still basically brand new lark hill? Or see mandurah moving up to lark hill?
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[zed]

Do you see rocky moving out of the Still basically brand new lark hill? Or see mandurah moving up to lark hill?
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Lark hill isn't a bad ground. Bit sterile maybe.

[Sheikh]

here's an idea (and I expect to get shot for this) but what about catchment areas. If a player doesn't live in a clubs catchment area then they can't play for that club.
Suddenly no more poaching of players.
>

What about if a player used to live in one catchment area but then moves. Does he have to change clubs, or can he remain with his current club (at least until the end of the season)?

What about changing populations and catchment areas? If the boundaries change to accommodate changing demographics, players could be forced to change clubs.

It's a nice idea, and if setting up a league from scratch you might be able to implement it, but I can see a lot of problems with imposing such a change on existing clubs and players.

A more workable solution may be to say a player has to play for one of the three closest clubs, as it would at least give players a bit of a choice.

[AndyS]

Even that doesn't work. Playing cricket, one lad used to drive in from the hills in order to train and play with the team his granddad and father both played for and he grew up in...

[jono]

Lark hill isn't a bad ground. Bit sterile maybe.

that's my point. rocky wont leave. also, do they have an agreement with the council to be there for X years?

and i cant see mandurah leaving their clubrooms either.
got a nice stalemate here

[GIGS20]

Mandurah-Rocky merge called Peel??? How bout bogan RUFC?

I believe that was rejected when the club was formed

[GIGS20]

that's my point. rocky wont leave. also, do they have an agreement with the council to be there for X years?

and i cant see mandurah leaving their clubrooms either.
got a nice stalemate here

Unless the two clubs exist as separate entities for the lower grades and field a joint first grade team.

It'll never happen, the bad blood is ingrained into their bones....on both sides of the fence I understand

[Ralto]

Unless the two clubs exist as separate entities for the lower grades and field a joint first grade team.

It'll never happen, the bad blood is ingrained into their bones....on both sides of the fence I understand

With the additional split to Kwinana, it becomes even messier.