The Goulburn Bulldogs first grade team will begin the process of looking for a new spine in 2021, after it was confirmed recently that the three Cornish brothers have elected to play in Young next season.
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Mitchell, Tyler, and Nicholas Cornish were three of the Bulldogs' top players in the 2019 season, and playing at five-eighth, fullback, and halfback respectively, they formed the bulk of what is called the 'spine' of Goulburn's side.
However, a recent offer from the Young Cherrypickers was too good to refuse.
All three spent the last year playing for the Goulburn Dirty Reds rugby union club after the Bulldogs called off their season preparations due to COVID-19.
The trio's decision to move was multifaceted, and their considerations included both financial and personal factors.
Mitchell and Tyler both have growing families and new homes, and the Cherrypickers, unlike the less fortunate Bulldogs, survived COVID-19 with enough sponsorship to pay their players next season.
Nicholas, meanwhile, has elected to move to Young and start a new chapter of his life.
"When they spoke to us, we weren't sure," Nicholas said.
"But then I realised there was nothing keeping me in Goulburn and I probably needed a change, so I thought I might just move."
Unlike their younger brother, Tyler and Mitchell will live in Goulburn but commute to Young for training and matches.
While Nicholas is likely to stay in Young in the coming seasons, he said his brothers were eager to return to the Bulldogs after 2021.
"They said 'we'll just do it for the one year', because we always wanted to win a competition in Goulburn," he said. "That was our main goal."
The move, Nicholas added, is also an opportunity for he and his brothers to play one last season together.
Having had a preliminary meeting with the Cherrypickers, the Cornishes are "excited" about what 2021 may hold.
"It's a bit like Goulburn, a close town and everyone is really lovely," Nicholas said.
"[Former Bulldogs forward] John Dodson played out there this season and said they were really good."
The Cornishes played in crucial positions at Goulburn, and after early discussions with Young's coaches, it seems as though they will be able to slot in to similar roles for the Cherrypickers.
"The competition is very similar [to the Canberra Region Rugby League competition, in which the Bulldogs play], and we've spoken to the coach and they have a similar playing style," Nicholas said.
"We sat with the Young coach and spoke with him about how we wanted to play. It's pretty effective, we made a grand final in 2019, and he said that's the way they like to play as well."
The departure of the Cornishes is the latest big loss for the Bulldogs, who also confirmed the end of former head coach Adam Kyle's tenure at the club.
Under Kyle's guidance, Goulburn's first grade side went from struggling near the bottom of the ladder to genuine premiership contenders. The new Bulldogs committee confirmed that the split was amicable and caused by COVID-19 complications.
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