Jody Cooper was right.
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Told that the initial response to Group 4's proposed 9s competition appeared to be lukewarm, the late Bears president said something like this: "Give it time. These sort of things tend to build momentum."
A month later and the proposal has become reality: Footy Fours, as it was originally called, now the more esteemed Wests Entertainment Group 9s.
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On Friday night at Wests, the player draw for the inaugural tournament will be held.
Overseeing the historic event will be Group 4 interim chairman Terry Psarakis, who based the idea for the four-team tournament on cricket's now-defunct Tamworth Premier League.
So emboldened is Psarakis over the response to the event - to be held at Scully Park in October - that he now hopes to stage it annually.
If that happened, he said, it was likely the WEG 9s would be a post-season happening. (The fledgling Jack Woolaston 9s is held in the off-season.)
Psarakis said the initial reaction to the 9s from rugby league people was negative: they doubted it would work. "Hopefully we've converted a fair few people," he said. "And let's hope the end product is good."
Psarakis said the beauty of the WEG 9s was its non-club foundation. "Teammates playing against teammates is going to be very exciting, I believe," he said.
Each team will have 15 players, with a reserve pool of players available. Player registration - via Group 4's Facebook page - is open until Friday.
