Green Rats see red

What a joke, what's that saying about spilt milk...

Green Rats see red

Jamie Pandaram
Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Fuming Warringah rugby officials say the NSW Rugby Union needs to be more flexible after a paperwork blunder cost them a home semi-final this Sunday.

The NSWRU earlier this year called for applications from all clubs to host finals games, and only Eastwood tendered a submission. As it turns out, Warringah - who finished third - have been drawn to play sixth-placed Eastwood in an elimination battle that will take place at the Woods' home ground TG Millner Field.

"We've won five games in a row, we only lost three games all year, and yet we have got no advantage - Eastwood have got a better deal by finishing sixth," Warringah coach Rick Black said. "We're not asking for favours, we are asking for what is fair and reasonable."

Black said the NSWRU should be able to use its discretion and change the venue, rewarding the better performing side. Warringah did not make a submission because when the issue came up they were in seventh position on the ladder. Their home ground is controlled by Pittwater Council, and they did not want to risk committing to finals games if Warringah or Manly weren't guaranteed to feature, a Warringah official said.

A NSWRU spokesman said Warringah could hardly blame the competition organisers when the decision to play three finals matches at one venue was voted on by all club general managers. He said had the Rats submitted an application, they would have "almost certainly" been given hosting rights for the game.

"The reason this came up is because we didn't want a situation where the lower-grade players were playing at different venues and had to rush halfway across town if they were needed for first grade," the spokesman said. "All clubs agreed that the finals should be held at one ground so we called for submissions and only Eastwood applied."

One Warringah official, who did not wish to be named, also criticised Eastwood for not showing sportsmanship and shifting the match to Warringah's Rat Park, as he said his club would have done if the situation was reversed. :iconrofl: :iconrofl: :iconrofl: "It is easy for us to say we would have told Eastwood they could host the final if it was the other way around, but I know how our club operates and we would have because it is in the spirit of the game."

Eastwood coach Chris Hickey scoffed at that suggestion, and said: "If that happens next year we'd be happy to take up them up on the offer. They should have applied. It's no good blaming Eastwood or the NSWRU officials." :D

In the other elimination semi-final, fourth-placed Norths will host their match against fifth-placed Randwick at North Sydney Oval on Saturday because it was chosen as ABC television's match of the round.

The Warringah-Eastwood clash is part of a "Super Sunday" promotion that also features the second-tier elimination semi-final between West Harbour and Penrith. Complicating this issue is that the third match, which was to have been played on Sunday at TG Millner between second-tier Parramatta and Souths, has been moved to Two Blues Park because both sides' lower grades will play in Granville.

"You'd like to think that if they can move that game, they could move ours," Black said. "I realise that if a submission had gone in none of this would have happened but it's about common sense." (Sense aint so common at Warringah, bet you fill in the form next year your berk :verysad: )

Warringah star Clint Eadie was disappointed with the predicament, after the team had worked towards securing a home finals match. Ironically, had Eadie not scored a try after the bell last Saturday against Gordon, the match would have been drawn and Gordon would have qualified ahead of Eastwood, nullifying any home advantage at TG Millner.

"On Saturday we didn't even know all this was going to happen. Finishing third should be an advantage and now it's not," Eadie said.