Hi Bruce & others. If the industry was receiving it's fair share of TAB distribution and not getting ripped-off, I'd start a blog on every dog I owned, telling you what colour sh1t was dumped every morning & night. I'd even take a picture if that tickled your fancy.
You can WANT all you like. Here in Queensland, we've been WAITING a new race-track that has been promised for nearly 8 years.
Jump in the queue.

No doubt there are great trainers, average trainers and poor trainers. Like cricketers, footballers, doctors and dentists.

Live baiting, in the view of many quoted trainers and all the public, is disgusting, unnecessary and certainly illegal. In my view, an even bigger worry is that, in each of the three states, top trainers were involved. That alone calls for an independent investigation into why (not what) it happened. So WDA were asked to do the job.

A major key to WDA findings was that the practice was burnt into the culture of some trainers on traditional grounds - my dad did so I did it. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Consequently, WDA then encouraged GRNSW to attack that issue.

Could someone else have done the WDA job? Not sure but I doubt you would have found any with better basic qualifications, never mind the greyhound background. WDA is also a group so you then tend to avoid an individual's bias, if any.

A related point is that it may have been hard to find a vet or vets within the industry who were not already tied up with either greyhound customers, clubs or authorities, and therefore had a conflict of interest. The WDA people were at least well separated.

A related point is that all the reviews conducted in the three states (with one small exception for the state's chief vet in Melbourne) all failed to delve into the reasons for this cultural problem. All they could talk about was changing the laws and adding more people (at great expense). They all also botched the breeding and euthanasia questions by repeating false figures passed on by the McHugh Commission (ex GA).

Your last point concerns finance etc, which is crook. Why so? Almost certainly because the industry is run by amateur clubs supervised by bureaucrats, not business managers, all of whom seem to regard a good result as doing what you did last year plus a fraction. For major maintenance clubs just ask the authority for a handout, much like the kids needing ice cream money. Their commercial and negotiating abilities are poor or absent - witness the TAB commission sagas in NSW and the loopy handling of the arrival of corporate bookies (Chairman Percy Allan made a speech demanding that owners and trainers have nothing to do with them (at the Greyhound Social Club). Go figure!

Lastly, your list of great trainers includes at least one who was a perennial druggie. Who can say how he got all his winners?

What else needs fixing? Tracks. All of them. They vary from ordinary to really disruptive and all are amateur-built.

Another odd point. Within the greyhound fraternity in general are quite a few blokes who are prominent and successful businessmen in their day jobs, often in hi-tech industries. Yet if they took their greyhound decision-making back into their businesses they would go broke in a matter of months. IE, the system beats them - so change the system.

Finance Bruce: All MONIES COLLECTED at GBOTA tracks, go to their head/office in Sydney. Trial-Monies, Gate takings. That's why Clubs still need to run raffles.
Ever been asked to buy a TICKET at the Thoroughbred Races, to help pay their Track, Training, Wages, Repairs??? Read last week where the are spending 3mil here 2.5mil there for training track improvements in Sydney. Dogs get Zilch!
Our very own Racing Minister (Former T. Grant) recommended last year we receive only 10% Tax Parity money. WHO WENT IN TO BAT FOR US
Yes you got that one right!
How's the Spoke & Wheels concept going? How's the Centre's of Excellence progressing? How much improvements have been made at any track? Qld are still waiting for a replacement Gold Coast track as PROMISED by the then BLYTH GOVERNMENT over 8 years ago. This Liberal Govt in NSW, is suffocating the Industry!

Now Bruce: Perennial Druggie, I assume you mean GB? His name is still along side those many many group winners he trained. He gave up many hours free time, working on the old Geelong track I believe
He was outted after a raid on his property, which turned up a supply of Pain/Killers. Not for Administering them.!
Yes Bruce, poor trainers are being labelled as Drug Cheats now for miniscule amounts of Cobalt and Arsenic (most don't know how or why it happened) But ALL ARE ENCROURAGED TO PLEAD GUILTY to receive a lesser penalty.

Your last point re: Businessman owners- Jobs etc.
Easy to answer, hope you understand. They do it because it's a hobby, they love the sport, the Animal, the Passion. NOT FOR WHAT THEY CAN GET OUT OF IT. Have you owned dogs Bruce? did you have a hands on approach? It's 12.30am nite nite

A major key to WDA findings was that the practice was burnt into the culture of some trainers on traditional grounds - my dad did so I did it. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
How many trainers did they interview to come to that finding? As long as someone said it would have been good enough.

Could someone else have done the WDA job? Not sure but I doubt you would have found any with better basic qualifications, never mind the greyhound background.

Basic qualifications making expert reports, yeah that'll do! That's all you need to become a politician.

WDA is also a group so you then tend to avoid an individual's bias, if any. Like the lack of bias in groups like Greens or political parties?

Its not all negative Bruce, your points on track design and injury are worth looking at.

Sorry Terry I think I sent you a PM somehow when looking to reply.

Thank Christ Thompson didn't follow your advice last night as Burn One Down absolutely trotted in with the Destini Fireball Stayers Final, off a 7 day back up

In fact if it was left to your way of thinking the final may have been held next November when it was fully documented that all the finalists were over last weeks run

In fact, may be the Olympics should be held over a 12 month period to ensure that the human athletes aren't over exerting themselves

really good topic Steven

The leaders of the Alliance and GBOTA have no "INTESTINAL FORTITUDE"

Nicholas they were bred to hunt in a natural state, and thier reward was food and survival, we now have inorganic rewards that do not reinforce their instincts, a wet skin or properly prepared carcases will. Their instincts have evolved over eons and we are now expected to believe we can trick their dna with an onion bag or artifical noise in 24 months.

In this last week, SEQ has run 74 races at 7 meetings. Two meetings had 12 races (at Albion)and the other 5 had 10. Of the 74, 10 or 13% were short of a full field. By comparison, Victoria had 259 races and 30% of those had fewer than 8 runners. I don't study NSW in detail but the two Wenty meetings had 5 short fields out of 20 - ie 25%.

Broadly, all this is symptomatic of the national scene where breeding is in modest decline and average starters per races are likewise. But the two big greyhound states are the biggest problems.

Having said that, there may be a case for Qld to increase the number of races a little. Whether they can pay for them is another matter. However, whatever else happens, there is obviously room for more Grade 5 dogs to replace the lower class fields - especially at Albion on Thursday. But you are unlikely to get them from Victoria.

In the medium term, I cannot fathom how NSW can maintain its existing numbers because it is going to run out of money paying Morris Iemma and company. That suggests some dogs may want to cross the border - and some of them are not far away.

Don't know if the ptb in Qld plan is by stealth or accident, but those figs indicate something is working and cant fault the integrity of their racing personally. I've really enjoyed the product so far.

For me the choice was either watch Qld or WA racing. The holdback for WA is the time difference.

If Qld keep persevering and take a few steps marketing their product............the southern states may just have opened the gate for Qld to get more than just a look in.

Ryan,

I'm glad you like watching QLD races...make sure you record them so you can look back in later years and enjoy, because QLD is NOT immune to the shortage.
There is a 60% reduction in breeding for ALL STATES...it's NATIONAL!!!
Call me an alarmist if you like but a 60% reduction of breeding is NOT meekly modest! It's HUGE and it's not getting any better.

QLD fields have for quite a few years now, been made up of around 40% of NSW dogs.
So 60% of that 40% WON"T be in the QLD racing pool in the very near future. The local pool will ALSO be depleted by 60%.
Probably unbeknown to you, the call for extended noms have recently accelerated for ALL meetings.
Our numbers have been bolstered by NSW dogs for so long...won't be as the clock ticks on.

The cancer grows unless something is done very quickly to give confidence back to the breeders.
It is too late to avoid the huge dip in the numbers in the next 24 months.
If the tide doesn't turn NOW, we are out the door.

Don't forget to press record.

Oh, BTW, ...
Quote - "I've only been looking at Albion for the last 2.5 months and I like watching racing there a lot."

From an Owner/Trainer's POV, not so good.
The Albion Park circuit was never designed to accommodate a one turn start,(331m), so next time you watch one of them, count how much interference at the 600m boxes turn. Then count how many dogs run off that same turn like they have lost their steering wheel.
The 395m start is right on the bend so they jump out of those boxes onto a surface that is around 35*...too bad if you're an average jumper.
The Ipswich 431m corner start is diabolical...watch.
The track camber at Ippy is far less than Albion so make sure you watch the 520m races there, especially the younger dog races.
Not blaming anyone...it's what we have to work with and is what is on the plate.
Second thoughts, I'd like to blame all those people who are responsible for us NOT GETTING A ONE TURN TRACK IN 8 YEARS!!!

That's 24% and I dont see it that way at all. It may be that the quality may be reduced for a time, just depends on how the ptb in Qld want to proceed, from here.

What I'm saying the product is quite good as it is today, the integrity of the sport is being upheld from what i see, and if the ptb decide to take up the challenge, there is an opportunity for Qld greyhound racing to be promoted to the country and therefore make it's mark . That's what I know from watching racing there for the last 2.5 months.

You've been hammered by the southern states in the past, in my view here's your states chance to do something.