The Bermagui-Cobargo Eels have had four competition points stripped and been fined $500 after including a player deemed too good for reserve grade.
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The club has also been threatened with suspension and/or a $5000 fine if Blake Robinson continues to play.
In addition, Robinson has been banned from playing reserve grade for 12 months after taking the field despite a Group 16 ruling he was ineligible to run on for the Eels.
The fallout extended on Wednesday morning with Dave Allen resigning from the presidency of the Eels saying he “couldn’t stomach anything that was going on with the decision”.
The Group 16 executive cleared Blake to play reserve grade for his first match of the year and the following week the Group 16 management committee graded Blake as 'first grade' due to his playing history and standard.
- Dean Lynch
Robinson has made three appearances for the Eels, one before the club was put on notice and two since.
However, Robinson said he had been cleared to play by Group 16 president Dean Lynch prior to running on for the team.
Mr Lynch confirmed in an email that Robinson had been cleared to play one round for his home club, but was later ruled of first-grade standard by Group 16’s management committee.
“The Group 16 executive cleared Blake to play reserve grade for his first match of the year and the following week the Group 16 management committee graded Blake as 'first grade' due to his playing history and standard.”
However, Robinson said he was unsure how anyone could have graded him during the game at Bermagui after “having the worst game of his life and dropping the ball”.
“At the end of the day, it’s not the NRL we’re talking about here.”
Robinson said he continued to play despite the ruling because his club voted for him to: "They don’t care about the points, they just want to play fun footy with their mates”.
There has been e-mails flying back and forth, but there is no consistency and I have had a gut full of it. People carry on like Blake should be playing the State of Origin
- Dave Allen
Mr Lynch said ultimately the decision was made by the management committee, a group of representatives from a number of clubs within Group 16. He understood the frustration from Cobargo-Bermagui, but said the decision was about fairness.
“He has not been denied the right to play, just from playing in reserve grade – it’s just about playing the appropriate grade and fairness,” Mr Lynch said.
Cobargo-Bermagui does not have a first grade side, but is in a portability arrangement with the Eden Tigers.
Former Cobargo president Dave Allen refuted the claims, saying the club had been similarly questioned over playing Lachlan Carey, who is battling to manage Crohn’s disease.
“Lachlan played about four minutes against Bega and we got a call up with a ‘please explain’, but no-one from the executive asked about his condition or his health, they just said he was too good,” Mr Allen said.
“There has been e-mails flying back and forth, but there is no consistency and I have had a gut full of it.
“People carry on like Blake should be playing the State of Origin.”
Mr Lynch said every decision made by Group 16 could be appealed through the CRL.
Robinson said he was gutted by the decision and his only hope was that the ruling could be overturned, though he had little hope.
“We went down the appeals path, but Kevin Felgate and Terry Quinn sort of said they wanted nothing to do with it that we were a small group and they wouldn’t overturn the ruling,” Robinson said.
“I won’t be playing first grade anywhere else, if it were overturned I would play for Cobargo and if not I won’t be playing at all.”
In an e-mail Mr Lynch said he had voted for Robinson to be able to play.
“I had to use my casting vote so that he could play last weekend,” Mr Lynch’s e-mail reads.
However, the final decision rested with the management committee and failing an appeal, Mr Lynch had no power to change the ruling.
Mr Allen said the ruling meant Robinson was only available to play in the top grade, but Eden already had a strong halves combination with the Tigers indicating they welcomed Robinson on the bench, but he would not be given a run on spot.
“They rule he can’t be in reserves, but the Tigers don’t need him so where does that leave him?” Mr Allen said.
“It’s just Tathra all over again.”
Portability a way forward:
Current Group 16 rules indicate that any club must provide three distinct senior age groups to form within the competition, but one of those teams must be a top grade side.
Portability rules allow two clubs to remain independent, but combined for the purposes of game day so towns with just under 18s or reserves can compete in conjunction with another club.
Cobargo rejoined the competition this year using the portability rules to provide a reserve grade side under the Eden Tigers.
The ruling on Robinson has raised concerns about the rules, but Mr Lynch said the initiative was aimed at including smaller clubs to compete.
“We are with everyone, not against them,” he said.
The scheme is being closely watched by a number of competition groups throughout the country as they look to roll out similar programs.
Mr Lynch said it had been working extremely well for the Pambula-Merimbula Bulldogs and the Candelo-Bemboka Panthers as well as the Tigers and Eels.
He noted an example recently where the Panthers stepped up to fill the ranks of the Bulldogs as a number of players were away for a wedding.
“The Bulldogs were in a position to forfeit and the Panthers all pulled on the jumper and went out to play, it was great to see,” he said.
“That’s an example of what we want to achieve and what we want to see for Cobargo as well.”