Gunnedah Bulldogs are well placed to take part in any Group 4 2020 season but believe it is unlikely a competition will be played.
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Both club president David McCann and first grade coach Mick Schmiedel believe a shortened or remodelled 2020 is realistic.
Group 4 Rugby League chairman Ray McCoy set a tentative restart date of July 25/26 for its 2020 season late last month. The NSWRL confirmed that by confirming a July 18 return to the playing field for all its competitions.
Both the NSWRL and Group 4 say it will only happen if health authorities it is safe to return to the playing and training field.
It (the July 25/26 restart) is "a goalpost" for clubs and players to aim at to be ready, McCoy said.
He also proposed a one-round competition where the top eight sides then play off in a "Top Eight Showdown".
The Bulldogs understand "where Ray is coming from" and welcome his positivity and proactivity.
"From our perspective we don't see any real issues and we would be able to pick up the pieces if we are allowed to play," McCann said.
"But it's up to the health authorities and the NSW Rugby League. If the NRL can't organise a starting date then I can't see us going.
"I do have reservations, personally, I don't think we can play. It's pie in the sky stuff.
"If we can't do it properly we shouldn't do it at all. If there are threats to some of the clubs (financially) we're just better off waiting until next year. However if the clubs are 100 per cent on board with restarting then we can."
"We have an eight-team comp (with the addition of Moree Boars) and want to maintain that. We want to make it the best we can and not do something stupid that might wreck it."
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Schmiedel is coach of the first grade Bulldogs and the former Tamworth City premiership winning and Northern Division coach believes the club is well placed.
"We would have four grades if we were to play this season," he said.
"I had 20 to 25 players at training on a regular basis before this thing (pandemic). So we probably had 40 to 45 players in total."
He said Group 4 "must sit down and have some healthy discussions" if it is to play any form of competition in 2020.
"We've got to stay positive that we are going to get some footy this year," Schmiedel said.
"I'm still hoping we can get on. I hope Ray is right with his starting date and we also have to have some contingency plans. Personally I think we could play two pools - Moree, Narrabri, Boggabri and Gunnedah in a top end and Werris Creek, Dungowan, Kootingal and Norths in the bottom end.
"Then take the top two teams out of those pools for a finals series. We'd have to have a pre-season of at least four weeks too."
He said club will need to "get some match fitness into the legs" of players before any restart.
He has handed out training schedules to his players to carry out by themselves but knows individual players will treat those training regimes differently especially as interest and enthusiasm waned in recent weeks.
"I'm confident my boys are doing plenty to stay fit and that all the clubs are the same," he said.
"But we do need to have a pre-season too if we are going to play a competition."
