Former Clydesdales skipper Don Saunders urges ARLC to back club
A Toowoomba Clydesdales hero is urging the ARL Commission to back his former club amid a fallout that threatens the future of the game in a league heartland.
Queensland Cup premiership winner Don Saunders has leapt to the defence of his beloved Clydesdales after a withering broadside from NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.
Saunders, who lead the Toowoomba Clydesdales to the Queensland Cup premiership in 1996, has urged the football community and the Australian Rugby League Commission to give the club a chance.
One year back in the competition, the club won three and lost 17 games to finish third from bottom on the ladder.
Saunders’ comments follow a leaked email in which NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said “The ARLC, as you are aware, has not approved the participation of the Western Clydesdales in the QRL Hostplus Cup and does not consider that such participation is in the best interests of the game as a whole.”
Abdo’s comment has rocked the Western Clydesdales and greater south west Queensland rugby league communities but Saunders is adamant the club can succeed given the opportunity and support to do.
“We’ve only been back for a year, give us a chance,” Saunders said.
“They (the Western Clydesdales) were competitive in parts during the season and you can already see the signs of a good culture being built around the players and the club as a whole.
“A culture that you don’t always see in a lot of more established clubs.”
Saunders is revered figure among the Clydesdales’ faithful with the new Western Clydesdales Player of the Year medal named in his honour.
The gritty no nonsense lock said the Clydesdales are essential to the future of league in the region and at the state level.
“The Clydesdales must be part of any Queensland competition,” he said.
“This region has a rich rugby league history and has produced some of rugby league’s greatest ever players.
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“Without the Clydesdales there is no pathway for our juniors – it means we would lose those players to places like Brisbane or even lose them from the game as a whole.
“We need the Clydesdales for our region to be strong and for Queensland to be strong as well.”
Originally published as Former Clydesdales skipper Don Saunders urges ARLC to back club
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