By Tallon Smith

The hunt for a successor to Andrew Hinchcliffe is over, with Mark Daly elected to the post of Group 9 President at the competition’s AGM in Wagga Wagga on Sunday.

The change to the top job occurs at a critical time for the league, with two clubs looking to return to the competition after a difficult few years post-pandemic, and the lingering controversy surrounding the implications of the draw on the finals makeup last season.

When asked about what his primary points of focus are going into next year, Daly emphasised the importance of implementing a fairer draw, as well as nurturing the returning clubs to ensure their success.

“I’m looking to a fair and even competition compared to last year,” he said.

“There’s a couple of new sides coming in, Brothers coming back into the competition, and Cootamundra Under 16s and 18s are [also] coming back into the competition.

“Hopefully in the next couple of years Cootamundra [senior sides] will come back in as well.”

When asked about the strength of the Group going into next year, Daly said that he believes the league will retain its high standards of play and competition.

“Yeah I think it will be [competitive], most clubs have bought up pretty well,” he said.

“We’ve got 18 rounds this year, everyone plays everyone twice, so that makes it nice and fair for everyone and should bring out the best team in the end.”

The big question on everyone’s lips over the off-season has been whether the Wagga Brothers will succeed in their return next season, with many keen followers of the competition doubting their ability to recruit players.

However, Daly was quick to move to quell such fears, and remains confident that the side will field at least a First Grade side in 2024.

“They’ve got a coach, they said they’ve got about 16 First Grade players, at the moment, and they’re still looking for some other players,” he said.

“They’re pretty confident they’ll get a First Grade side, they may not have a Reserve Grade, but they’re definitely looking to get a First Grade side.”

The former Albury player has quite the resume in rugby league, having given back to the game as a referee and administrator across both junior and senior football since his retirement from playing.

As for his plans in the top job, Daly said he plans to lead the competition for a couple of years, but he’ll see how he goes over the course of the year before making the call to continue.

“That’s probably the plan [to be President for a few years],” he said.

“If I go alright this year I might stay on, but if I don’t go any good, I’ll probably get ousted straight away.

“Hinchy [Andrew Hinchcliffe] did a magnificent job over the past few years to get [the competition] where it is now, so hopefully I just keep on that trend and keep going that way.”

The Group Nine competition will include nine teams in 2024, the most since 2019, when it had 10 before Cootamundra departed.

A draw is expected over the next few weeks, with the season expected to kick off in April.