The chairman/CEO of the new Nations Aboriginal Rugby League, Michael Anderson, says he's absolutely astonished that the Australian Rugby League and the NSW Country Rugby League have dismissed the proposed competition "without any real and meaningful dialogue with us".

Anderson asks in a media statement whether clubs are being closed down because most of their players are Aborigines. The statement follows below:

\Goodooga NSW.

I am absolutely astonished at the reaction of the ARL and the NSW Country Rugby League to dismiss the proposed competition without any real and meaningful dialogue with us.



Their declaration that this competition will not be up and running in 2007 is a knee jerk reaction based on the false assumption that they are the only ones who can sanction the game of Rugby League.



The ARL says the bush belongs to Country Rugby League and it is their area, but they haven't done anything in the last years to support the bush and the kids of the bush.



We are thinking of our children and their future. Country Rugby League is abandoning the bush because they have failed to support Rugby football and the clubs in the bush. We can and will.