Panthers have entered the competition alongside Orange Hawks, Lithgow Workies and Group 11 team Dubbo Macquarie Raiders.

Each team will play everyone once in matches over 15 minute halves, before the two best performing teams clash in the grand final.

Carter will be taking a squad of almost 20 players to King George Oval for the carnival and is hoping to try up some different positions and tactics.

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"It should be a good indication of where we're at. We get at least three games and I've got about 20 players," he explained.

"I've got a couple that are carrying injuries that won't play on the weekend, but I still should have decent numbers. It'll be good for me to try a few different positions and change them around and see how they go.

"We still want to go there a be competitive. It'll certainly be a good carnival to see where we are at."

Out of all the players the under 18s team lost, Noah Griffiths is the most notable, with the talented playmaker now playing in the Newcastle Knights' SG Ball Cup team, however, a number of Panthers' under 16s players have progressed to the under 18s this year.

"We've got last years under 16s side that has come through. They were undefeated premiers last year," he said.

"Last years' 18s, you always lose a fair few because they're obviously older. Maybe a handful of last year's squad have stayed but there's big calibre players like Noah Griffiths that we lost.

"That's the thing, they've moved on to a different age group and onto bigger and better things. A couple have gone to rugby and some aren't playing.

"There's probably five or six from last year's squad that's still there."

Panthers will clash with Hawks at 10am, followed by Macquarie at 11.20am and Workies at 12.40pm.

"Lithgow Workies, they've always been good in juniors, in those sort of higher age groups, so I'd imagine they'd still be fairly competitive," Carter said.

"I assume Hawks would be a competitive side, with Bloomfield juniors coming through and what not. They were certainly a good side last year. I don't know who they've kept or who's moved on.

"Macquarie are a complete unknown but that's not a bad thing. We go in and they don't know us and we don't know them. We'll just mix it up and see what we've got."

Teams will be award two points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss, with extra-time to be played only in the final.

The final will be played at 2.30pm.

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