Narrabri to take part in under-18s Tigers Challenge competition

By Geoff Newling

The Tigers Challenge competition for under-18 players in the Group 4 and 21 Rugby League competitions is expected to be up and running as early as this weekend, with Narrabri Blues scheduled to challenge Kootingal in the first game of the competition at Collins Park on Sunday.

Greater Northern Tigers regional manager Scott Bone unveiled the plan at Monday night’s Group 4 Rugby League board meeting after he’d already shown the Group 21 committee the plan to give under-18 players more games.

The Tigers Challenge would run side-by-side with the current Group 4 and 21 competitions, taking out byes in most cases and giving the eight teams six Tiger Challenge games.

Both Group 4 and 21 have started their 2021 competitions but with a dearth of under-18 sides. Group 21 has just three Under 18 sides – Singleton, Scone and Aberdeen – while Group 4 has five – Kootingal, Dungowan, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Werris Creek.

Group 4 was looking at just three teams at one stage but a late push from Narrabri and Werris Creek guaranteed five.

Narrabri and Werris Creek actually played their second-round game (of the WEG G4 2021 competition) at Werris Creek on Sunday, the teams drawing 24-all with Billy Youman scoring three tries for Narrabri and Werris Creek five-eighth Dylan Smith also crossing for three tries too and also kicking two goals for the Magpies.

The lack of under-18 sides was addressed by local and NSWRL officials, with Bone drawing up a plan to run another competition – the Tigers Challenge – in addition to the normal Group 4 and 21 under-18 competitions.

As it stood, Group 21 had the three sides and are playing a five-round competition with one team having a bye each weekend.

“It means they will be playing the same team every third week,” Scott Bone said.

“At the end of the five rounds they will play a finals series but we haven’t worked out how that will work at this stage.”

The only certainty is the Tigers Challenge final will be played as a curtain raiser to the Wests Tigers -Cronulla Sharks NRL match on Saturday, August 21.

The three Group 21 sides will play four of the five Group 4 sides once to go with their Tiger Challenge round game against their Group 21 opponents thus making up their six games.

It would alleviate a bye each weekend.

The same goes in Group 4 where its five sides play two of the three G roup21 sides as well as all of their Group 4 opponents once to make up the six games.

“There would be some double ups in Group 4 where normal G4 games would be counted as games in the Tiger Challenge,” Scott Bone said.

“It gives the under-18s a chance to play before an NRL game in front of a good crowd too.

“It’s all about trying to provide more football for the boys.”

He said while the lack of under-18 teams is a problem, there are still good numbers with more than 200 players registered to play under-18 football in Greater Northern.

He also said the NSWRL will help out with travel costs.

The plan tries to minimise travel with the possibility, for instance, of Scone playing some ‘home’ games at Murrurundi for instance.

That might help the Murrurundi club as well, Bone said.

“There is also the opportunity for a couple of stand-alone games and some Friday night games between Kootingal, Dungowan and Werris Creek,” he said.