Rouse Hill Rhinos walk out on Parramatta
8 Jun 11 @ 12:48pm by LAWRENCE MACHADO
Brent McDonald, vice-president Rees Leyshon, Gary Howle and Daniel Hutton.
THE Rouse Hill Rhinos Rugby League Club is in a crisis after their senior team disbanded mid-season last week leaving them without any representation in the Parramatta first division competition.
The move, which followed 16 straight losses - including scores of more than 50 points against them - has prompted senior Rhinos and club vice-president Rees Leyshon to move to Riverstone to play in the Penrith second division competition.
Regular players, Brent McDonald, Gary Howle and Daniel Hutton said they were humiliated by the one-sided defeats. McDonald said it was degrading to be a part of this situation where we sometimes even fielded just 10 players.
The club, which moved into their impressive home ground at Kellyville only last year, has also seen their under-17 team fold recently.
Leyshon, who has been involved in coaching for more than four decades, said the club is being unfairly targeted by the Parramatta District Junior Rugby League.
This is the most unfair thing I have seen in this sport in 40-odd years, he told the Times.
We are not fit to play in the first division and we have many injuries and no reserves left.
We wrote to the Parramatta league requesting them to demote us as we were getting flogged in all games.
But they said they wont do it and questioned our intentions.
I am prepared to resign any involvement in the Parramatta Junior League, leaving the under-9s and under-15s without a coach.
He said he would also return $30,000 in sponsorship.
Parramatta District Junior Rugby League executive officer Terry Rose told the Times the Rhinos are being deceitful after they quit the premiership.
We believe they (the Rhinos first division side) are being deceitful though we dont have anything against the club, he said.
We helped them to get the new grounds and this time last year they loved us.
I didnt make this decision on my own, it was made by the nine-member committee.
They attempted to leave the district at the commencement of the season.
They say their players are being regularly injured but we have no record of their players being injured.
They have forfeited two matches, including the last one before the game with 13 players. We will be fining the club for this.
There is more to this issue. I think they just want to win a premiership.