Group Nine chairman Peter McDermott has defended the competition's health.
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Former board member Ray 'Dossie' Carr unleashed a tirade after the clash between Cootamundra and Tumut at Les Boyd Oval on Saturday.
With the Bulldogs not fielding a Sullivan Cup or Weissel Cup team again this season, and the Blues not having a leaguetag, only two competition games were played.
Carr estimated there would have been only 100 people, including players, at the clash between two traditional heavyweights.
The veteran administrator saw it as a death kneel for the competition.
"This time next year, mark my words, the once mighty Group Nine rugby league competition will be the equivalent to a Saturday arvo pub comp," Carr said.
McDermott responded to the claim.
"We are striving for that not to happen," McDermott said.
"Unfortunately numbers are low in every group in the Bidgee area with a lot of little towns and we are doing the best we can to assist the clubs to maintain their numbers.
"We all knew this was coming from juniors as the current three or four age groups in the 16s and 18s had no numbers in any comps and it has been like that since under 6s.
"The old board knew this as it was presented to them five or six years ago."
McDermott believes junior numbers are on the rise and that will have a flow on effect to the seniors.
He said the clubs do the best they can to get spectators to game, including Cootamundra holding an Old Boys day on the weekend.
Carr was ousted as a board member for this season as part of a changing of the guard and also drew new board member Aaron Byrne into the debate for playing rugby union on Saturday instead of for the Bulldogs.
McDermott said it was his choice but Byrne hit back.
"What I do in my spare time is nothing to do with anyone else, a long as it's not affecting rugby league, which it isn't," Byrne said.
"I have played every game for the Bulldogs this year except one and the weekend they had 16 fresh first grade players and 20 reserve grade players, so I did not let them down by not playing.
"There was plenty of numbers."
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