Tiers, transfers and talks: Why region's clubs are concerned about player losses

As it stands, the club is "struggling a little" to get numbers to field a Spacecats league tag team. Club president Tony Dwyer said Parkes will simply have to "see what happens" in the coming weeks.

Losing players each off-season can't be helped.

One thing which has impacted the Spacecats this year is a number of players who wore the red, white and blue last season are now pregnant and will miss most of, if not all, the 2024 campaign.

But another issue for Parkes has been numerous Spacecats leaving for the Eugowra Golden Eagles.

Eugowra currently plays in the second tier Woodbridge Cup competition while the Parkes Spacemen compete in the region's premier league, the Peter McDonald Premiership.

As the 2024 season nears, a number of PMP clubs have raised concerns around the impact and threat of second tier competitions.

It's roughly half an hour from Parkes to each of Peak Hill, Manildra, Trundle and Eugowra.

Each of those four towns feature clubs in the Woodbridge Cup. And every year Parkes deals with losing players to those clubs.

Much of it can't be helped and a lot happens with Parkes' blessing. Maybe it's an older player who wants to take a step back. Maybe it's someone who simply wants to play with their mates. Maybe they're just not keen on the travel aspect of the PMP, a competition which takes in teams from Nyngan to Lithgow.

But it all adds up.

"Most definitely," Dwyer said when asked if the Woodbridge Cup has an impact on his club.

"You only have to lose two or three to each of those clubs and your depth is gone and your reserve grade struggles."

When posed with a number of questions regarding the issue, NSWRL provided a statement which said it was aware of "minimal changes between players moving competitions in the Peter McDonald Premiership and Woodbridge Cup. This is no different to any other season".

"The NSWRL introduced a state-wide Player Points Index System in 2022 to reward player loyalty and junior development, as well as improve talent equalisation across NSW-based competitions," it continued.

"The NSWRL maintains that any player movement between competitions creates opportunities for other players to become involved and take part in the season."

While the NSWRL didn't answer a question relating to signings and clearances possibly being rejected, Western chairman Ross McDermott confirmed it could happen.

McDermott stated he has had conversations with Western's NSW Rugby League regional manager, Tim Del Guzzo, after clubs had raised concerns.

McDermott confirmed Parkes was one of those clubs.

Exemptions are already needed for players moving from PMP first grade sides to second-tier clubs in the space of two seasons.

That continues to be studied while McDermott and officials are taking a broader look at what happens to clubs who suffer an exodus of players from one season to the next.

Orange CYMS in 2023 is an example of a club brought to its knees by a mass exit of players.

A powerhouse of Group 10, Orange CYMS lost almost its entire side after the 2022 campaign. While there were various reasons for the departures, transfers to Woodbridge Cup was one of them.

Multiple players made to the move to the Orange United Warriors while Joey Lasagavibau went to Manildra.

CYMS went on to win only one first grade game in 2023 while the reserve grade side failed to finish the season due to a lack of player numbers.

It was a far cry from the goal of having the "balanced field" in the PMP the NSWRL desires.

"It can happen and it happened last year with Orange CYMS. They were decimated and they struggled," McDermott said.

"We don't want to stop players going down but if it's giving some clubs an unfair advantage we need to step in and that's what we're trying to look at

"Maybe once a player puts in a clearance, they don't automatically get it. If there's four or five players leaving one club and going to another we'd have a look at it.

"It hasn't become a major issue but it is an issue we need to look after and manage."

Analysing proposed transfers could not only benefit teams in a higher tier. If one group of players made a move to a club just for one season, losing them could leave a huge hole the following year and potentially put a team in a precarious position.

That was a factor in the demise of the Dunedoo Swans in 2024.

Last year the club celebrated its 100-year anniversary season and a number of players joined the team purely for one year.

The loss of those players, combined with a number of serious injuries last year, resulted in the Swans being unable to form a team this season.

"That's an issue we're looking at. As long as it's sustainable and the transfers are structured and approved by NSWRL we're more than happy for it," McDermott said.

"It's about how we go about doing that. There's nothing formal but we'll talk to these clubs."