The Cobar Roosters will have their name engraved on the Christie & Hood Castle-reagh Rugby League trophy as the 2021 competition winners, however club presi-dent Chris Deighton is less than happy to claim the hollow victory.
Despite the keenness of Castlereagh clubs to get an on-field conclusion to the 2021 season, the competition has been concluded following a directive from NSW Rugby League last week that all NSW community competitions were to be called off.
Deighton, who is also the president of the Castlereagh League, said he was disappointed by the announcement.
“I can understand where NSW Rugby League are coming from but they were the ones that asked for the contingency plan and then they scrapped it two weeks later,” Deigh-ton said.
“The plan wasn’t even out of date and every-one is starting to open up.
“I know things could still change but our plan allowed for a few weeks delay and there was still time for a grand final game to have been played,” he said.
Following the NSW Rugby League directive last week, a zoom meeting of the Castlereagh clubs was held and it was decided the minor premiers in each grade will have their name inscribed on the premiership shields.
The Cobar Roosters finished as the First Grade minor premiers and have now been declared as the 2021 competition winners.
Deighton said it was however a small conso-lation that the Roosters will have their name on the trophy this year.
“I don’t like being called premiers when we didn’t win the grand final,” he said.
He said there’s been a number of times he’s seen a team go through a season undefeated only to be beaten in the grand final.
While disappointed that football for the year was over, the Castlereagh officials were realis-tic in accepting that the decision was “inevitable” given the current circumstances.
“I can be as cranky as I want to be, but it is what it is and I know NSW Rugby League are just following Government regulations which still ban community sport,” Deighton said.
He said the Cobar club’s focus will now be to “come back next year and do it all again!”.
Deighton said he expects next season could also see further interruptions.
“I think we’ll just have to get used to it.
“From a health perspective, more than likely, players will have to be double vaccinated whether we like it or not.
“We have to get over it and grin and bear it.
“I just can’t wait to get back and play foot-ball,” Deighton said.
And for all other rugby league fans in the vast Christie and Hood Castlereagh League area, the 2022 season can’t come soon enough!
