Proposed Group 10 second division could be the new home for departing PMP clubs

At Group 10's annual general meeting (AGM) at Panthers Leagues Club in Bathurst on Sunday, November 12, the idea of a Group 10 second division was floated.

It's a competition both Blayney Bears and Cowra Magpies, who have both withdrawn from the PMP for the 2024 season, are keen on, if the concept was to get up.

Group 10 board member Gary Goldsmith said there are several obstacles the concept would have to overcome, if it was to become a reality.

"You would need 'x' amount of clubs to make it work," he said.

"An issue around this is of course referees. Those poor blokes get stretched everywhere each week.

"Introducing a new competition as such makes it hard, because your referees are in different venues at different places."

The competition would likely be a brand new competition and would not be a revival of the old Mid-west Cup.

While Blayney and Cowra's future plans are not officially confirmed, Group 10 board member and ex-Bears president Adam Hornby said the club's preference would be a second division competition.

If the second division did not get up, Hornby said Woodbridge Cup is the back-up, but would prefer that competition to be split into two geographical conferences.

"[If Blayney played in Woodbridge] our biggest crowds would be Cowra, Oberon and Warriors," he said.

"My biggest fear is we might only get one of them at home and get Peak Hill and Condobolin, who'll bring no one."

Hornby said Oberon Tigers, CSU Mungoes and Orange United Warriors, all members of the old Mid-west Cup, have indicated they would join a Group 10 second division competition, if it went ahead.

So would Cowra, but their juniors could play in the Woodbridge Cup as well.

But five teams would not be enough to kick-start the competition and Hornby said at least six clubs are required.

Goldsmith said his biggest concerns with the PMP in 2022 and 2023 was the rushed nature of things.

"We had so many moving parts we had to get together in two pre-seasons," he said.

"If the second division gets up, we really need to hit the ground running very, very soon. A lot of moving parts would have to come together."

Hornby wouldn't be fazed if Blayney played in the Woodbridge Cup in 2024, before joining a new second division in 2025, if an extra year was needed to get the competition up and going.

Group 10 ran the Mid-west Community Cup in 2023, which saw Blackheath Blackcats, Carcoar Crows, Kandos Waratahs and Portland Colts play each other once in men's opens and league tag, before the grand finals were played.

Blackheath defeated Kandos in the men's, while it was vice-versa in the league tag.

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