Orange CYMS will begin its premiership defence with a first round bye after Group 10 secretary Peter McDonald released one of the toughest draws he’s put together in over 20 years in the role.
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Proving a logistical nightmare, a stack of clubs had restrictions placed on ground availability heading into 2018, with Wade Park one of those venues rubbed out displacing both CYMS and Hawks early in the new year.
St Pat’s new home ground on Hereford street, Bathurst is another of those grounds– it’s expected to be opened in time for round three.
Carrington Park will be out of action for five weeks in the lead-up to the Penrith-North Queensland NRL game on May 4, leaving Bathurst Panthers homeless over the opening month of the season.
While Tony Luchetti Sportsground had to be shared among Group 10 club Workies and New Era Cup side Lithgow Bears – a relationship that clashed, fixture-wise, throughout 2017.
Mudgee’s Glen Willow, despite also hosting an NRL game on May 20, is only out of action for that weekend.
The restrictions make for an interesting opening month of the season, with Cowra hosting Oberon, Mudgee traveling to Blayney, a new look St Pat’s taking on Lithgow and Hawks facing Panthers in round one on April 8.
McDonald said the finalised draw, with the Group 10 grand final on Sunday, September 9, took about a month to complete.
“There were a few issues and we’ve had to work through them … it’s probably only started to fall in place since (last) Thursday night,” McDonald said.
“Clubs have been very cooperative and understanding.”
McDonald revealed a round one, CYMS-Oberon grand final rematch at Wade Park was “tossed around” as a potential season kick-off for the group.
“But it just didn’t fit in,” he said, with Wade Park unavailable.
“Once (CYMS) found out about the ground, they said they’d have a bye first up. They put their hand up.”
The mouth-watering first grand final rematch of the year will now be in Oberon, in round four.
That match also doubles as Oberon’s first home game of the season, giving Tigers fans their first glimpses at star recruits Josh Starling, Mickey Hawkins and Ben McAlpine.
Working through the draw, Blayney and Lithgow are the big winners early in the year, with just one away game between them over the opening four rounds.
Hawks will hit the road early, with six away games over the course of the first round.
That, of course, flips in the second round, with Willie Heta’s men beginning round two at home against Panthers after the June long weekend break.
The finals begin on August 18.
In the pre-season, the Mudgee Nines are on March 3-4, the Bathurst Knockout the following weekend, kicking off Friday, March 9.
The Blayney under 18s knockout will be staged on March 17, while the third annual All Stars game will be staged at Cowra on March 25.
As was the case last season, Bathurst Panthers will play in a curtain raiser game to the NRL clash at Carrington Park on May 4.
This year the club hosts the Cowra Magpies, while in the lead-up to the NRL game in Mudgee, under 16s and under 18s city-country clashes will act as curtain raisers.
EACH CLUB’S FIRST MONTH:
ORANGE CYMS: Bye, Mudgee (away), Cowra (home), Oberon (away).
OBERON TIGERS: Cowra (away), Lithgow (away), St Pat’s (away), CYMS (home).
BATHURST PANTHERS: Hawks (home), bye, Mudgee (away), St Pat’s (away).
MUDGEE DRAGONS: Blayney (away), CYMS (home), Panthers (home), Lithgow (away).
LITHGOW WORKIES: St Pat’s (home), Oberon (home), bye, Mudgee (home).
ORANGE HAWKS: Panthers (away), Cowra (away), Blayney (away), bye.
BATHURST ST PAT’S: Lithgow (away), Blayney (away), Oberon (home), Panthers (home).
COWRA MAGPIES: Oberon (home), Hawks (home), CYMS (away), Blayney (home).
BLAYNEY BEARS: Mudgee (home), St Pat’s (home), Hawks (home), Cowra (away).
Nick McGrath
Editor, Central Western Daily
Editor, Central Western Daily
