Woolgoolga and Bellingen have had to forfeit the first grade competition, Orara Valley have lost their U18s and the Nambucca U18s have forfeited their last two matches.

After season-ending injuries, suspensions and players moving away from the area, the Nambucca Roosters had to field a first grade team made up almost entirely of reserve grade players at the weekend – a demoralising match against Sawtell which was abandoned at half-time with a 64-0 scoreline.

And if it wasn’t for the tyranny of distance, the Grafton Ghosts would have called it quits on Group 2 at the end of last season.

But the Macksville Sea Eagles aren’t getting in a flap yet. 

The committee and coaches are rallying behind the players in the hopes of instilling the ‘family factor’ back into the club.

“Group 2 might be dwindling but we’re just focussing on keeping our culture strong,” football manager Danny ‘Doot’ Doolan said.

And after chalking up two wins this season already, it seems that tactic might be exactly what is needed.

Of course, it becomes tough when they go up against larger, more moneyed clubs like Grafton and Coffs, but reserves coach James Collison said money doesn’t buy fighting spirit. 

“We’ve got a whole lot of local fellas who just keep on turning up and playing,” he said.

And for the Sea Eagles, this year is about keeping it in the family.

“A lot of older players have been coming to help with training and they’re bringing their stories and history with them,” first grade coach Gary Jarrett said.

“Us old fellas still eat and breathe football, but these days it seems [the younger players] just want to show up, play and go home again.

The Sea Eagles were fortunate to pick up many from the Bowra Tigers champion U16s team from last season which bodes well for their future.

“Individually the talent’s there, but getting them to gel as a team, that’s our biggest obstacle,” Gary said.

Players are now expected to show support for all Sea Eagles teams, helping with warm-ups and standing in as moral support on the sidelines.

And the team cohesion and reintroduction of fun is already doing wonders for the numbers of league-taggers.

It’s only the second season for the Sea Eagles women and they’ve already welcomed over two dozen players to the fray.

When asked if they’d picked up any players from the break-down of other clubs, Gary said that wasn’t what Macksville was all about.

“We’re a club that struggles for players – we shouldn’t be wishing for the demise of other small clubs. I will not poach from other clubs,” he said.

Gary said Macksville is also focussing on building a stronger relationship with the Valley’s major employers.

Gone are the halcyon days when smaller clubs were propped up by thriving agricultural and timber  industries; the few ​major industries that remain are the lifeblood of rugby in the Valley.

In the next couple of weeks the club aims to give a vote of thanks by hosting its first sponsors day, where major contributors will be invited to a home game, put up in a special VIP tent and treated to drinks and canapes.

“Those guys put the money in and they’re the reason we’re here,” Gary said.

And no longer will players and fans be able to take the piss: in order to curb the reputation for bad behaviour that Group 2 has started to attract, the Sea Eagles committee has decided to make the switch to medium-strength beer at all home games.

With Roosters players fresh off suspension, this weekend’s Battle of the Bridge is looking set to be a blistering home derby and one not to be missed.

Feathers will surely fly!