Our 2024 PMP predictions: Hype around Dragons but worry for smaller clubs

The Peter McDonald Premiership season begins in earnest this weekend.

It's shaping as an extremely even and close-fought competition as all 12 clubs join together without separate pools and crossover games.

As always at this time of year, plenty of people are having their say on how the season will play out. And we're no different.

Five of your western area sports reporters - Nick Guthrie, Tom Barber, Alexander Grant, Bradley Jurd and Dominic Unwin - have had their say on what will happen in 2024.

Here's the predictions.

It's going to be more of the same if you ask us. Each of the five reporters said either defending premiers Dubbo CYMS or 2023 runners-up Mudgee will lift the trophy. It's easy to understand why, as both sides have suffered minimal losses in the off-season and are loaded with quality.

Three of us have tipped the Dragons.

"It's a cliche to say 'they want it more' but there really is something about Mudgee this year," Guthrie said.

"The pain of the last two years is driving them on and Clay Priest and Jack Littlejohn are desperate to win a title before retiring. Surely Priest can't get suspended for a third successive finals series?"

2024 club-by-club previews:

Continuing the theme of the Mudgee Dragons, both Grant and Unwin have tipped Mudgee's marquee signing Zac Saddler to complete a dream debut season by being named the competition's best.

There was variety elsewhere as a number of other new signings have been tipped to shine.

Grant: Zac Saddler (Mudgee Dragons)

Jurd: Josh Merritt (Bathurst Panthers)

Unwin: Zac Saddler (Mudgee Dragons)

Barber: Jake Grace (Forbes Magpies)

Guthrie: Jack Buchanan (Orange CYMS)

The future of the competition is bright if the players picked out here are anything to go by.

Here's the players we think will either announce themselves to the competition this year or take their game to an even higher level:

Grant: Eli Morris (Lithgow Workies)

Jurd: Cooper Neilsen (Bathurst St Pat's)

Unwin: Harry Wald (Orange Hawks)

Barber: Will Black (Nyngan Tigers)

Guthrie: Rylee Blackhall (Wellington Cowboys)

Sorry, Lithgow and Nyngan. Each of our five reporters tipped those two sides to miss out on finals in 2024.

After that, things weren't so obvious with a number of clubs predicted to fall short of the top eight in what should be a hugely competitive competition.

Grant: Lithgow, Nyngan, Orange Hawks, Macquarie.

Jurd: Lithgow, Nyngan, Macquarie, Orange Hawks.

Unwin: Parkes, Lithgow, Nyngan, Bathurst Pat's.

Barber: Lithgow, Nyngan, Bathurst St Pat's, Orange Hawks.

Guthrie: Lithgow, Nyngan, Bathurst, Macquarie.

There were a number of choices here. Both Guthrie and Barber tipped Wellington to kick on and be a contender after a number of handy off-season signings while Jurd picked Bathurst St Pat's for the same reason.

Not too many people are talking about the Parkes Spacemen and Orange Hawks but that's who Grant and Unwin tipped respectively.

"The attention is on their crosstown rivals," Unwin said of Hawks.

"With a few players departing, people aren't expecting big things. But you can't rule out a Shane Rodney-coached team and Hawks have plenty of talent on the books."

The names mentioned here show the high calibre of signings teams have made in the off-season. Unsurprisingly, former NRL player Zac Saddler got a couple of votes while others went for a mix of outside backs and powerhouse forwards.

Grant: Zac Saddler (Mudgee)

Jurd: Mitch Andrews (St Pat's)

Unwin: Dylan Kelly (Orange CYMS)

Barber: Jack Smith (Forbes)

Guthrie: Jack Quinn (Dubbo CYMS)

There are some belters here. Unsurprisingly, there was a couple of votes for the grand final rematch to be played in round six at Glen Willow Stadium in Mudgee.

The historic distance derby between Nyngan and Lithgow - where the Tigers will travel almost five hours to play - also got a shoutout.

Grant: Mudgee Dragons vs Dubbo CYMS. Grand final rematch in round six, June 2.

Jurd: Distance derby between Nyngan and Lithgow in round two, May 4.

Unwin: Biased but the first Orange derby. CYMS has some serious pride to restore after Hawks didn't need to move out of second gear to dispatch them in the biggest game of the year last season. Round 5, May 26.

Barber: Mudgee Dragons vs Dubbo CYMS. Grand final rematch in round six, June 2

Guthrie: Bathurst St Pat's v Forbes Magpies and Mitch Andrews reuniting with his old club in round six on June 1.

There's worry for the smaller clubs in the competition. There's more demands on clubs every season so could it all become too much? Lithgow has already had to forfeit it's round one reserve grade fixture due to a lack of numbers.

Grant: That the clubs from the smaller communities in the competition can continue to remain competitive and eager to play in future seasons, and that adequate support is given to them to help support football around the whole region.

Jurd: The long-term viability of smaller towns and how do we get Cowra and Blayney back.

Unwin: Lithgow's numbers are a concern and a third straight grand final in Dubbo would raise some questions about whether it should be shared around like they do in Woodbridge Cup.

Barber: Smaller towns won't have enough to compete with big centres like Dubbo, Orange, Mudgee and Bathurst.

Guthrie: The travel and commitment will force Nyngan and Lithgow to consider their options for 2025 and onwards.