Outgoing Randwick coach Stephen Hoiles believes there will be “an asterisk” attached to Easts should the resurgent Sydney club claim a drought breaking Shute Shield title against Norths on Saturday.
Easts haven’t won the coveted shield since 1969 with a team that included convicted murderer Chris Dawson.
Easts finished 10th last season but have been dominant in 2024 under new coach Ben Batger, a former Waratahs and Brumbies player.
Watch the 2024 Shute Shield final, streaming ad free, live and on demand on the home of rugby, Stan Sport
The club is stacked with Super Rugby talent including Charlie Gamble, Fergus Lee-Warner, Teddy Wilson, Jack Bowen and Wallabies winger Darby Lancaster, who scored a dramatic last minute try to sink Warringah in last weekend’s semi-finals at North Sydney Oval.
But their success has been marred by controversy after breaking Sydney Rugby Union’s player points rules this year.
The system is designed to create a more level playing field and all Shute Shield players are assigned points for their value.
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Easts in action against Warringah. Stan
Wallabies are worth 20 points, Super Rugby players 10 while others are assigned points based on experience and professional record.
Easts were found to have breached the 100 point limit in a game against Souths and, after being initially let off, were stripped five competition points and fined.
They still won the minor premiership and will start favourites at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday.
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“If they win, there’ll be an asterisk next to their name,” Hoiles said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.
“Everyone else will always think that they did something they might not have.
“I can’t get past the fact that there’s a play point system, which they’ve breached, and they’ve had an innocuous fine, a $100 fine, and points taken off them that didn’t affect anything.
Stephen Hoiles on Stan Sport. Stan
“The points system is there to police the cash salary cap because there’s a cash salary cap of $220,000 that every club signs a stat dec for. This will set a precedent. No one’s ever been audited.
“They’ve tried so hard for years to try and make this competition even, and the club that got affected the most was Sydney University. It was all to stop the Uni dominance, like in the ’60s in rugby league with St George.
“So they’ve done that, but the first time a side goes over the points cap, they’re not really punished. No-one’s ever once looked into the cash component of it, and I think they should audit the top six, including our club.”
Randwick’s Stephen Hoiles and Mark Harrison celebrate winning the 2023 Shute Shield. Supplied
Hoiles led Randwick to their own drought breaking premiership last season and the Galloping Greens were beaten by Norths in last weekend’s semis.
Hoiles has now passed the Randwick coaching baton to former teammate Shaun Berne.
“I’d be comfortable sharing what we spend… wealthy clubs will go and find donors and people that can top it up, and they’ll just start spending more than they’re allowed because it’s not getting policed,” he said.
“What’s the purpose of club footy? Is it to help Waratahs and Wallabies? Is it to develop Waratahs and Wallabies? Is that the idea of it? Or is it to allow teams to bring in a whole heap of imports and have foreigners…
“Because when University were dominant, and we’re all filthy at their success, they were producing Wallabies.
“I know they’ve got a whole lot of Super Rugby players and Darby Lancaster and Teddy Wilson, and they’ll be Wallabies as well. But I don’t necessarily think that this is a sustainable model…
“Because do we want it to just be whoever’s got the most money each season can buy a premiership, or do we want it to be we’re working hard to produce Waratahs and Wallabies who are better for it?”
Batger told reporters this week that other clubs were simply jealous.
“The reality is a lot of those guys have come through our colts program,” he said.
