It's hello to league tag and reserve grade Western competitions after both Group 10 and Group 11 staged their own separate premierships in 2022.

It's goodbye to the large amount of byes and lengthy stop-start scenarios those reserve grade and league tag teams endured last year.

Then it's welcome back to not only the second edition of the first grade Peter McDonald Premiership and under 18s Tom Nelson Premiership, but to an early season timeslot for the Group 10 versus Group 11 representative fixtures.

Last year there was no first grade Group 11-Group 11 representative clash, instead just under 18 and league tag games which were held in September at the conclusion of the regular season.

But this year all three games will be played on May 6.

It is a return to how those representative games were treated in 2021, when Lithgow acted as host in late May.

"We tried three dates last year," Boyd said.

"We were trying to make it last year that it was something for players to keep training for and get picked in those sides, maybe they could play a Western Division game and that would be reward for it.

"But it just didn't work, the players weren't keen after the season, so that was knocked on the head.

"So we've gone ahead with it earlier, we've put it in [for May]."

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Boyd also revealed the Group 10 versus Group 11 first grade clash could be somewhat of a trial for further representative honours.

He said it is hoped that instead of the Peter McDonald Premiership victor going on to play in the Presidents Cup - a competition which brings together the winners from the four best leagues in NSW - that a Western side can compete.

Last year Forbes Magpies competed in the Presidents Cup and suffered a 52-6 loss against the red hot Maitland Pickers.

"We've applied for Presidents Cup and for that to be a rep side from Western Division rather than the winning side from Group 10 and 11," Boyd revealed.

"We'd prefer to put a representative side in from Group 10-Group 11, even Castlereagh Cup, out there in Group 14, we'd prefer to put the one side in.

"If we did that we feel like we would be more competitive with sides like Newcastle and so forth, go back to the old Western Division games when we played Newcastle and were competitive.

"To put one of our [club] sides in against a winner of a Newcastle competition is, I reckon, trying to go too far."

While it remains to be seen what happens in the Presidents Cup, Boyd said finalising the draw for the Western premierships "was a lot easier this year" than in 2022 when took in excess of 60 drafts.

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Once again to help ease the pressures of travel there will be crossover games between Group 10 and Group 11 based clubs across a regular 16-week competition.

Those crossover games will first feature in rounds one and two.

For Bathurst Panthers those crossover games will be against Dubbo CYMS, Wellington, Forbes and Parkes.

As for St Pat's, they'll face Group 11 based clubs Dubbo CYMS, Parkes and Wellington.

"With all the clubs agreeing to put league tag and reserve grade in, it made it a lot simpler ... it's a lot better all over I think," Boyd said.

"A lot of people will say it's not a complete competition unless you play everyone once, but little steps. Let's get it on the road, let's get it running and everyone happy, we can push on later down the track if we have to.

"The feedback from the clubs has been very positive, there were a few things come back, only minor things, no clubs were upset about it.

"There were a few things about Saturday games which we still have to work on, but that also comes down to availability of grounds this early in the year too. We'll work through those things, they're not major problems."

Boyd is hoping that making reserve grade and league tag Western-wide premierships proves to be a success, just as was the case for first grade and under 18s last year.

"I hope it's a step forward, we've got to make sure that those reserve grade sides, sometimes they aren't the best of trainers, fulfil commitments. If it gets to the end of the season and there's a crossover game, that's my only concern," Boyd admitted.

"But they only have two crossover games each round, so it shouldn't be a problem, we will wait and see."

He added that the naming of those two premierships have been discussed. As of yet no decision has been made, but the board has some proposals and "are looking at it".

"Let's just get on with it now, I think the clubs are keen," he said.

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