The reason the ABBL teams were split into the North and East was because the ABBL teams previously stated they didnt want to be in a PL where they were basically competing against 7 other teams they were also in the league against, hence they were split 4 and 4. As Matt has pointed out, is that still the same PoV, or have they changed?
The side effect of that, is teams in div 2-3 are now not happy that they can not compete with the ABBL teams.. Solve 1 issue, create another!
To me, being in the bowl isnt about winning, it is simply about being part of the great aussie community. I couldnt care less about winning the PL, doesnt get me anything, except the odd brag rights..