After months of waiting, it appears the release of an official 2024 Peter McDonald Premiership draw is imminent.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
A draft draw - which ACM obtained a copy of - was sent to 12 clubs and it was reportedly ratified by the Western rugby league board last week.
The season is set to start with the Bathurst Panthers hosting Lithgow Workies Wolves at Carrington Park on Saturday, April 20 as a curtain-raiser to the Penrith Panthers-Wests Tigers NRL match.
The season proper kicks off the following weekend and the regular season will consist of 15 rounds with each side enjoying one bye while round 11 will be played over two weekends.
In a new-look structure - with all 12 teams in together rather than in two pools - the top eight move through to finals, which kick-off on the weekend of August 17/18 before the grand final is played on Sunday, September 8.
With the excitement building for what shapes as an extremely even competition, we've looked at the draw for each of the 12 clubs and picked out the fixtures or details which could decide their fate in 2024.
We'll be bringing you this in three parts and we're starting with the Bathurst sides, the defending premiers, and a Forbes side eager for redemption in 2024.
Bathurst Panthers
2023 finish: Third in Group 10 pool
2024 schedule: Lithgow Workies Wolves (H), Bathurst St Pat's (H), Dubbo CYMS (H), Forbes Magpies (A), Orange CYMS (A), Mudgee Dragons (H), Macquarie Raiders (A), Bye, Nyngan Tigers (H), Orange Hawks (A), Parkes Spacemen (H), Mudgee (A), St Pat's (A), Bye, Wellington Cowboys (A), Orange CYMS (A)
Panthers surged into the PMP finals last year and they start 2024 with a nice run of three home games in a row, with the first of those an NRL curtain-raiser.
A four-week early season run against expected contenders Dubbo CYMS, Forbes, Orange CYMS and Mudgee will give us a great idea if this Panthers side, which has replaced Doug Hewitt with the exciting signing of Josh Merritt, is at. Orange CYMS, Mudgee and local rivals St Pat's are the three teams they meet twice this year, which isn't exactly easy either.
There are no trips to places like Lithgow or Nyngan but this still looks a tricky draw.
Bathurst St Pat's
2023 finish: Fourth in Group 10 pool
Schedule: Panthers (A), Parkes (A), Wellington (H), Hawks (H), Lithgow (A), Forbes (H), Bye, Dubbo CYMS (A), Mudgee (H), Nyngan (A), Lithgow (H), Panthers (H), Orange CYMS (A), Macquarie (H), Hawks (A)
What do you want after back-to-back games against 2023 grand finalists Dubbo CYMS and Mudgee? Probably not a 350km trip to Nyngan. Unfortunately for St Pat's, that's what they face in the middle of the season.
That three-week run and the first half of the season in general could be telling for a side with a new coach and a number of new players. Four of St Pat's first seven games are away and include testing trips to Parkes, Lithgow and Dubbo.
The positive for St Pat's is they could do a whole lot worse than drawing local rivals Panthers, Lithgow and Orange Hawks as the teams they meet twice.
Dubbo CYMS
2023 finish: Premiers
Schedule: Macquarie (H), Panthers (A), Hawks (A), Nyngan (H), Wellington (H), Mudgee (A), Bye, St Pat's (H), Parkes (H), Lithgow (A), Wellington (A), Forbes (H), Macquarie (A), Orange CYMS (H), Nyngan (A)
A lot of travel but otherwise nothing too scary for the Fishies here.
Few teams have drawn as many long trips as 2023 champions CYMS. They go to Bathurst and Orange in the first three rounds while they also head to Mudgee, Lithgow and Nyngan.
Those treks aren't ideal and either is a game at Mudgee a week after what is expected to be a bruising encounter with Wellington, but there are worse draws out there.
A round one derby clash with Macquarie will be one to watch while they meet the Raiders, Nyngan and Wellington twice.
Forbes Magpies
2023 finish: Last in Group 11 pool
Schedule: Bye, Orange CYMS (A), Panthers (H), Wellington (A), Macquarie (H), St Pat's (A), Parkes (A), Hawks (H), Nyngan (A), Mudgee (H), Macquarie (A), Dubbo CYMS (A), Parkes (H), Lithgow (H), Wellington (H)
A tough start to things but, overall, Magpies fans should still be excited about what their rejuvenated side can do in 2024.
After a round one bye, Forbes travels to take on a revamped Orange CYMS first-up while they also head to Wellington and Bathurst St Pat's in their first five games.
The big positive for the Magpies is they're the only side to finish the regular season with three successive home games. They've got winnable matches against Parkes, Lithgow and Wellington and three victories could move them right up the ladder at just the right time.
Cameron Greenhalgh and his side also don't travel to Group 10 territory after the round six meeting with St Pat's.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
