Calls for change to Group 11-Group 10 representative games

Group 11 won the first grade, under 18s and league tag games against Group 10 at Blayney this season, but with no representative side picked afterwards and the weekend costing the victorious group roughly $10,000, questions have again been raised about its future.

Group 11 secretary Paul Loxley is determined to see the matches become "relevant", adding there was little point playing them if that wasn't the case.

"We spoke to Group 10 about the rep games and we said they're not really standing for anything," Loxley said.

"It's hard for the players when they've got to back up (for club sides) and it's not really part of any process."

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The matter was spoken about at Group 11's board meeting on Saturday and it's expected to be taken to NSW Rugby League.

It's far from the first time issues with the fixtures have been spoken about at a board level.

It was only in 2019 when the Group 10 representative team ran out at Forbes with 16 players, and it could have been 15 if outside back Keelan Bresac hadn't got the call-up from the crowd pre-match.

In 2021, Wellington captain-coach and Justin Toomey-White called for change and said while playing in those games were often career highlights, it got to a point where it felt the matches went ahead "just for the sake of it".

NSW Rugby League representatives said in response to that they wanted the group games to be genuine selection trials, but three years on it's clear little has changed for the players and board members.

NSWRL will be contacted to help create change, with timing one of the biggest current issues.

The finances involved are another aspect, with thousands spent on jerseys, accommodation and food ahead of the Blayney game by Group 11 this year.

In years gone by, the games were genuine selection trial matches ahead of mid-season championships.

The country titles are now held in pre-season and the Western Rams made the semi-finals in 2023 after coach Cameron Greenhalgh was able to select one of the strongest squads in a number of years.

But of that Rams side which lost to Newcastle in this year's Country Championships semi-final, only five featured across both sides at Blayney.

A few injury concerns and suspension did play a part, but Group 10 was forced to call-up prop Nic Barlow from the Blayney reserve grade team to play five-eighth.

Loxley added he was uncertain what could be done about the timing of the fixtures, with the championships needing to be scheduled at a time that worked for groups and associations across the state.

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