LEAGUE - Season delayed after Marist fall foul of rules

REMEMBER the West End Jumbos? What about the Coastliners or the Otaika Eagles? Don't feel bad if you don't, there have been so many different rugby league teams in Northland over the years that rugby league officials have finally started to do something about it.
New rules aimed at supporting the development of the game's junior base have been introduced this season to general acclaim. Unfortunately, they have already claimed their first victim.
Marist, the 2006 premier grade champions, were suspended from the senior competition on Tuesday for not entering a minimum of two junior teams under their banner - a new bylaw that has come into effect this season.
Their suspension means the season has been delayed a week and will now kick off on April 12.
For too long now, players, for whatever reason, have been able to break away and start a new club, often taking other players with them and setting back their original club's progress - sometimes for years.
After playing a season or two many of the new clubs have folded, never to be heard of again and leaving everyone worse off for their existence.
The new bylaw will help combat that but also help to revitalise the game at the junior level.
WC&DRL; chairperson Sharon Bird said Marist's inclusion in this year's competition was still up in the air.
"I can't really say if they'll be in or not, they've had a few problems at this stage, but the competition will be starting next week with a new draw (with or without them)," she said.
Marist spokesman John Komene said the decision to exclude Marist from the competition had been the result of a misunderstanding.
"We've got enough numbers in our junior and schoolboy sides, but there was a bit of a mix up and people got their wires crossed,"he said.
The club was confident it had complied with the new bylaw and would provide the details to the board as soon as possible.
He said the senior side, which had initially struggled for numbers, had been bolstered by an influx of young players and now had the numbers to compete in the league.
Players numbers have swung wildly for Marist in the past. In 2006, they kicked off their season with just nine players in their opening match before going on to win the grand final.