"Leaving preliminary/qualifying/1st round semantics aside, do you think it makes sense to have Central League clubs from Capital join the competition one full round before clubs in the Central Fed which play at a lower level?
Using your FA Cup comparison, wouldn't this situation be akin to Premier League clubs joining the FA Cup in the 2nd Round, while the Championship/Leaue 1 clubs get a free pass into the 3rd Round? "
I agree with you entirely on this issue, El G. I can't understand why what happens in the northern region doesn't apply in the central region, given both regions have a region-wide Premier League.
Up here, as you're aware, there's the prospect of a team like Taupo being drawn away to someone like Kerikeri. A helluva road trip, for sure, but that's exactly as it should be. Why the Taradales and Inglewoods of this world can't come up against the Wainuiomatas and Levins at the same time is beyond me - there's a double standard in operation, for mine.
What should happen is very straight-forward. Every year, on Queen's Birthday Monday, 32 Chatham Cup ties take place around the country - twelve in both the northern and central regions, and eight in the South Island.
Of those 64 teams, those competing in both the Northern Premier League and Central Region Premier League (and, if it ever materialises, the South Island Premier League, but in the absence of same, the top two place-getters from both the previous season's Mainland and Football South Premier Leagues) should not have kicked a ball in anger in the competition prior to this round.
This is a no-brainer, for mine - they are the best teams in their respective regions because they are playing in the highest tier of competition available in same, and this "right of passage" is a reward for securing that status.
Teams who aren't competing in these leagues have to earn the right to join those that do in the draw for our equivalent of the FA Cup third round, which means progressing through at least two rounds of action prior to reaching this point in the Cup.
Why this isn't currently the case comes back to the issue of the competition's structure, i.e. the FA Cup model on which the Chatham Cup is based. What's happening at present, i.e. Wellington teams entering earlier than should be the case, and the likes of Inglewood not kicking a ball in anger in the Cup until June 7 this year, is a result of the tinkering with said model which has taken place here over time, in order to, for want of a better word, "New Zealand-ise" it.
It comes back to the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". It's high time the powers that be addressed this issue and sorted it out so the sorts of anomalies which are in place at present are eliminated, and the annual "Road to North Harbour Stadium" is clearly defined so that clubs of equivalent standing around the country are entering the competition at the same time.
It's not rocket science, just common sense.
Cheers,
JR