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JUST over six months ago Lithgow Workies pushed Orange CYMS to the absolute limit, ultimately losing 14-10, in a brutal Group 10 premier league grand final at Wade Park, a game labelled more than once as one the best deciders in recent memory.
Now, 223 days later, they can’t field a team.
Already without a first division side, Workies threw the competition into disarray on Thursday night, officially forfeiting Sunday’s much-anticipated grand final rematch against CYMS at Wade Park, claiming a plethora of injuries compounded their already apparent player shortage.
So much so, the club claimed they would be unable to even put 13 players on the paddock.
Group 10 secretary Peter McDonald and his fellow committee will hold a crisis meeting with their Workies counterparts tonight to gauge the likelihood of Lithgow fielding a top grade side for the remainder of the year and establish an action plan to try ensure they do.
“A meeting will be held tonight (see adjacent story),” McDonald said.
“Lithgow contacted Group 10 on Thursday night to inform us they had 12 players for Sunday’s game.
“They had contacted some players from Portland to fill in and we were willing to clear those players immediately to help them field a side.
“Lithgow called back an hour later to say it wasn’t happening and they would be forfeiting.”
At this stage, they have only pulled out of Sunday’s round three clash rather than the rest of the season as originally rumoured.
With rumblings of far bigger problems than just a player shortage at the foot of the mountains, McDonald confirmed there is a real chance Lithgow won’t be seen again in 2016.
“There is the possibility they will go down that path if they’re not willing to do some hard work to get their club back up and kicking again,” McDonald said.
McDonald confirmed Group 10 and Country Rugby league will do whatever is necessary to assist Workies in building to the point where they will play week-in, week-out, the ideal result for the competition.
“We’ll do whatever we can to help them yes, but they need to be willing to do some hard work too,” McDonald said.
“[Forfeits] just can’t be happening, there is clearly problems other than the excuse that they have injuries, or there is so many teams around the Lithgow area.
“Lithgow are a very successful and proud club, certainly one of the most successful recently, it’s not a great situation.”
As it stands, the Group 10 draws will not change until after next week’s meeting, while Sunday’s under 18 and league tag games were also abandoned.