Hotham returned as the Panthers coach for the 2021 season, after the senior league tag competition didn't go ahead in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Panthers' last game of the 2021 season before the COVID-19 lockdown forced the abandonment of the competition was a resounding 30-0 win over Mudgee Dragons at Glen Willow.

Hotham said that was her team's best performance of the season and she's hoping, that if she can retain a majority of the squad, Panthers can build on the success they enjoyed.

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"There's a couple of girls we'll lose that are finishing school, that are 18-years-old. They might go back home or have a gap year," she said.

"But we kind of ended on a dull moment, so hopefully we can get back to winning ways. We didn't make the semis, but we really started to find ourselves towards the end of the year.

"If we can pick up where we ended off. That last game against Mudgee we played, that was the best game we played all year."

Hotham's also hoping that Panthers can have an under 18s league tag team again in 2022, after being only one of five Group 10 clubs that fielded a team in that age group.

It's only early days, but Hotham has already targeted a top five finish and, in turn, a semi-finals spot in 2022.

But trying to crack top spot will be a massive ask, especially the strength of their city rivals.

St Pat's won the last three Group 10 league tag competitions that were completed from 2017-2019, while also winning the inaugural competition in 2012 and in 2015.

Panthers have enjoyed league tag grand final success twice back in 2013 and 2014.

Hotham knows it'll be hard for any team to knock off the blue and whites.

"St Pat's are a great side. There's not much you can do, just turn up on the day and give it all you've got," she said.

"If it happens, it happens. We had a really good squad last year. We had a lot of girls that haven't played before, so hopefully if I've got that same squad heading into next year, I can build off that.

"Last year, we couldn't always get a full team together but when we did, we made it known that we weren't that bad. If we can get them all together, we can go alright."

While the leading Group 10 first grade teams will be merging with the leading ones from Group 11, this will not be happening in league tag.

While a draw has been revealed for the 2022 Peter McDonald Premiership, there has been no update on when a schedule will be coming out for the upcoming Group 10 season.

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