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 club 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.

Bulldogs 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 five 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.