By Tallon Smith
One of Group 9’s most successful former clubs may be back on the
paddock in 2025 after the Cootamundra Bulldogs signalled their intention
to re-join the competition next year.
The Bulldogs this morning announced that they have submitted an
application to join the competition for next season, which will be heard
at the competition’s AGM next month.
Club President Stephen Howse confirmed the news to Battlers For Bush
Footy, declaring that the club is confident of fielding five grades next
season.
“We have made an application to go back to Group 9,” Howse said.
“We are confident of fielding 5 sides next year.
“The other Group 9 clubs will vote on it at the AGM on December
1st.”
After consistent struggling for numbers contributed to their exit from
Group 9 four years ago, the turnaround has been remarkable for the club,
with Howse telling Battlers that one big reason the club has decided to
make the jump is that they now have too many numbers for a single side
and need to field a Reserves team.
“It might sound bad, but we just have too many players,” he said.
“We had 28 or 29 players on the books [last season], but DB [Coach
David Buttriss] could only play 18.
“If we had a Reserve Grade, blokes would get a run.”
The club has spent the last four years in the Canberra Region Rugby
League’s George Tooke Shield competition after leaving Group 9 at the
end of the 2019 season.
Prior to that, the Bulldogs were one of the most successful clubs in the
Group 9 competition, winning nine First Grade premierships in 1947,
1948, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1982, 1988, 1990 and 2005.
Meanwhile, in a major step towards their goal of re-joining the
competition next year, the Bulldogs have secured the services of David
Buttriss as coach again for next season.
Buttriss took the Bulldogs Senior Men to the GTS finals in 2024, before
they were ultimately eliminated in the Minor Semi Final by Binalong
17-16.
“[David’s] the most popular bloke in Cootamundra,” Howse said.
“He’s just really smart, good with the players, they all respect
him, [and] he’s so good for the club, he does so much behind the
scenes.”
The Bulldogs’ potential return would see Group 9 return to having 10
teams, something not seen since prior to the pandemic.
The rebound in numbers following the Bulldogs’ news and the
Brothers’ return to First Grade bucks a larger trend which saw the
competition decline from 14 First Grade teams around the turn of the
century to just eight in 2023.
Meanwhile, Cootamundra’s departure leaves the George Tooke Shield with
just seven clubs, a number that could end up being further reduced
should the Binalong and UC Stars clubs fail to field teams next year as
has been widely rumoured.