Query re the NSW Pioneers Rep team

[The Partisan]

Recently revisited the highlights of last years Qld Rangers v v NSW Pioneers game.

I believe the Pioneers team was selected from the rep teams of the Ron Massey Cup and the Newcastle competitions ?

Any reason the other country areas didn't / don't get a look in ?

Acknowledge that there is a NSW Country U/23's rep team but seems unfortunate that guys toiling away in other regional centres don't get the chance to represent their state like their Qld counterparts.

The Qld team is selected from the divisional championships which includes the Brisbane Rep team selected from the tiers below the Intrust Super Cup.

 

[The Partisan]

Last years highlights for those interested.

https://www.qrl.com.au/news/20182/06/18/xxxx-qld-rangers-vs-nsw-pioneers-highlights/

 

[The Partisan]

Details of the 2018 squad.


https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2018/06/15/team--nswrl-pioneers/

 

[rightleftin]

Recently revisited the highlights of last years Qld Rangers v v NSW Pioneers game.

I believe the Pioneers team was selected from the rep teams of the Ron Massey Cup and the Newcastle competitions ?

Any reason the other country areas didn't / don't get a look in ?

Acknowledge that there is a NSW Country U/23's rep team but seems unfortunate that guys toiling away in other regional centres don't get the chance to represent their state like their Qld counterparts.

The Qld team is selected from the divisional championships which includes the Brisbane Rep team selected from the tiers below the Intrust Super Cup.

Historically the NSWRL would arrange rep teams for all its major competitions and they had a similar set up to Qld ie if you go back 15-20 years combined 1st Division (NSW Cup) would play against Combined Country and Combined Metro Cup early in the season to pick a NSW Residents team and in addition Combined Metro Cup would play Brisbane Capitals.

But over time NSW Residents became NSW Cup and the comps that replaced Metro Cup had restrictions on who could play (player points system) and in recent years fewer and fewer players would make themselves available. In 2018 the Newcastle comp switched its control structure from the Country RL to directly by the NSWRL like the major comps. Thus the Newcastle players were included and the Newcastle comp now has exactly the same restrictions as the Ron Massey Cup.

The standard of the Country divisional U/23 sides is not great and the older players that provided a good standard championship have nothing.

 

[The Partisan]

So by the sounds of that .....if you are playing country footy outside of Newcastle and are aged over 23 ....you have no option available to you to play for your state. Doesn't sound right to me