The Tale of the Old Pot
November 9th 2010 10:08
The Tale of the Old Pot
Unknown to many rugby league fans is the astonishing story of the Maher Cup, affectionately known as the ‘Old Pot’.
Throughout its history, the Maher Cup enjoyed some of the most extraordinary and peculiar tales of country rugby league’s zenith. Its endless list of famous battles ranks it as one of rugby league’s most colourful sagas.
Battered and worn, the cup itself was contested between the local communities of the Group 9 and south-western NSW country leagues between August 1921 and June 1971. Its origin began in Tumut when an hotelier by the name of Ted Maher donated the cup to the local rugby union side for the 1920 season. The idea for the cup was that it would be contested between the local clubs of the surrounding towns, but with the sweeping popularity of rugby league at the time, the cup mysteriously switched codes in 1921.
From that point on the cup entered rugby league folklore as an unlikely Holy Grail. It was once said that the Maher Cup was almost as famous as the Melbourne Cup and the capture of the ‘Old Pot’ was considered to be almost worth dying for...
One simple rule governed its existence – a team held the cup until they were beaten. The irresistible challenge that this created would bring hordes of supporters streaming into the town where that match was to be played. Along with the people however, controversy would also follow the cup like an unwavering storm cloud, greatly adding to its illustrious legacy.
In particular, one event saw the Old Pot end up in the Cootamundra Jail when the locals refused to relinquish the Cup to West Wyalong after a hotly controversial game.
Other moments to speak of include the 1931 contest between Young and Temora, which was rated as the most savage Cup game ever played. A powerful statement when considering the fierce rivalry which existed between the communities throughout the Cup’s lifetime.
In 1952 a game in Gundagai was stopped due to the Murrumbidgee River rising so quickly that it almost marooned the spectators, while in 1965 a game between Tumut and Grenfell was played in four inches of snow. Other events saw games stopped due to rabbit plagues, droughts and dust storms, while one year in Barmedman, when the game was delayed until sundown, the local’s lit stubble in nearby paddocks to provide enough light for the game.
The Old Pot itself was even lost on two occasions, in which one instance it was finally located and fetched from the Tumut River of all places. Endless arguments, protests and even lawsuits have coloured its life, until which point when it was finally placed in the trophy cabinet of the Tumut RSL where it remains today.
While other country trophies similar to the Maher Cup existed, none of those ever got close to matching the prestige or lineage of the Pot. But although the cup is not in existence today, what can be taken from its history?
Obviously the Maher Cup’s lore of a team not relinquishing the pot until beaten is intriguing and a fundamental element of its success. Much like a world boxing or wrestling title, the allure of earning the cup was exasperated because of this.
So why cannot the legacy of the Maher Cup be transfused into the NRL today? Obviously the capture of the Telstra Premiership will always be the ultimate goal for any competing club. But by adding a separate entity similar to the Maher Cup could increase the attractiveness and competitiveness of each regular round.
The structure of such a title could consist of the following. The NRL could approach a sponsor to come on board to help promote the cup, and to provide prize money to the victorious teams. Obviously to win to cup would grant the most prize money, whilst defending it would constitute a smaller sum. That money could be distributed directly to the players of the victorious team, irrespective of salary cap restrictions. This added incentive could quell some player’s reservations regarding Australian rugby league’s inability to compete on a monetary standpoint with other codes, although only slightly.
The greatest purpose of the title would be to generate greater interest in the regular rounds of the competition, with the intrigue of the Cup being present in every round. To begin with, the previous year’s premiers could be the inaugural recipients of the title and thus would have to defend it in each round until it was lost. From there it would transfer to the victors, which in turn would have to begin defending it from the next round onwards.
If a team in possession of the title were to finish in the top 8, then the Cup would also be defended during the final series, which would ultimately see that year’s premier’s securing its capture.
Whether or not this would eventuate in the NRL or its feeder leagues, is another matter. At this stage the powers at be of the NRL cannot even control the behaviour of its players or instigate a logical refereeing system let alone indulge in argument on innovation.
Nonetheless, the NRL cannot change what has come before it and the story of the ‘Old Pot’ is truly an important part of Australian rugby league folklore.
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