League scheme put off

Press, 7 September 1976, Page 6

League scheme put off

A scheme drawn up by the Canterbury rugby league secre-tary-manager (Mr D. G. Gaynon to streamline future inter-club competitions was deterred for a week bv other members of the code's board of control last evening. Mr Gaynor’s proposal included, doing away with the qualifying! rounds which have occupied the opening weeks of recent seasons, although still leaving an avenue! for premier B clubs to rise im status. The immediate effect would; have been for the top premier B! side, Woolston, to have met the] bottom premier club, Marist-’ Western Suburbs, in promotionrelegation games later this season and next March. The win-: ner on aggregate over the two matches would have joined Papanui. Christchurch-Eastern Suburbs, Hornby. Kaiapoi, Linwood. Addington and Sydenham in the 1977 premiership, beginning in April “This two-match series would provide both clubs concerned with every incentive, and allow them six months to build up and improve upon their first game, irrespective of whether they won or lost/’ Mr Gaynor said. Although discussion on the system did not extend beyond thisj point, Mr Gaynor said that

major intention was to ensure that eight premier teams would, have hard fixtures evert week., (instead of the easy matches ■ which occurred this year when 110 sides were allowed into the first round. I With eight teams, there would ;be sufficient playing days tor three complete rounds if required, with trophies at stake and • sponsors to be sought for each series. The premiership itself i would probably encompass the I second and third rounds, leading! !up to the usual championship 1 i play-off. . | A counter-proposal was ofIfered by Mr M. R Clinton, who , suggested that the runner-up in the premier B competition, Ric- , carton, and the seventh premier , side. Svdenham, also take part He said that Marist could meet Woolston and Sydenham be op- . posed bv Riccarton later this sea- : son. with the fixtures reversed i in March and the two most successful combinations in the lour I games to be promoted. II Mr I. N. Jenkins contended that reverting to promotion-tele-ligation football would “take the , code back 10 years” and prevent i the other premier B clubs from attempting to improve their .; standing. iA'l speakers agreed that It was preferable to have an eight-

■ sided premiership rather than a I,larger number. Mr Gaynor also ..said that the senior first division ■ had been severely disrupted In ■ 1976 first by “mar king time ' ■ while the qualifying round was played, later by the introduction I of the four clubs which missed premier status, and again when the premier B grade was estabI lished. It was also pointed out that some premier B clubs appeared Ito be forming their teams on a : year-to-year basis in the hope of 1 • doing well in the qualifying series, without providing for the future Meanwhile, the top six nclubs were playing matches with i out much importance, at a time when Canterbury had Ann o ( up • commitments Mr P .Yaxley said that if the I scheme was favoured, all clubs would know their positions every . vear Premier B teams weold I be aware that the way into the higher grade was to have suf ficient strength to win their own competition and then beat the I lowest-nlaced premier side on ag- . gregate over two game- . However, a motion bv Mr F i Duane that the matter be ! shelved for a week so that It - might be decided bv al] board members—two had offered arx-lo-t cries for absence last evening—- . was carried.