With the 2024 season fast approaching, rugby league players and fans across the Riverina are gearing up for another winter of footballing action.

Hidden in the details of the Group 20 draw are some incredible fixtures sure to capture the attention of players and fans when they roll around in the opening months of the season.

So without further ado, here is a look at five Group 20 matches that you won’t want to miss in 2024!

The full draw is attached below.

Round 1 – Hay v TLU Sharks

Given that these two teams both missed the finals in 2023, you may question why I’ve selected this game to start off the list. But boy, this one should be a cracker!

The Sharks have been the big buyers over the off-season from all reports, and are looking to announce a few major signings in the coming weeks.

The Magpies are also a team to watch in 2024, with the team’s controversial exclusion from eligibility for last year’s finals sure to fuel the fire in the belly of the boys in black and white.

The evenly matched small-town sides will be desperate to bank two crucial competition points to propel their campaigns forward, which should lead to a tightly fought and entertaining affair at the Hay Park Oval to open the season on April 7.

Round 3 – Leeton v DPC

Okay, I know everyone expected this. And I know why. Last year was a Grand Final for the ages, as DPC went within a whisker of mowing down a 22-0 Leeton lead in the dying stages, only to be denied by an incredible cover tackle from Beniel Dakunibubului on a flying Jonathan Sila.

The year before, Leeton upset the Minor Premier Roosters 30-10 thanks to four tries from Barry Hails Medallist Brayden Scarr. But despite two successive wins over the Roosters in the past two deciders, it is not Leeton but DPC who enter 2024 as premiership favourites.

Whilst the Roosters have maintained the majority of their 2023 squad, the Greenies have lost five major stars in Kirtis Fisher and Will Barnes (French Elite League), Hayden Philp (Temora) and Beniel Dakunibubului (NRL).

Having just won back-to-back titles, Leeton will be out to claim the title of favourites that they probably deserve, while DPC will be out to make an early statement to justify the thoughts of many of Group 20’s top minds and of course get some revenge for last year’s Grand Final loss.

This should be the match of the year, something that will hopefully be reflected by a big crowd at the Leeton No.1 Oval on April 21.

Round 5 – Yanco-Wamoon v Leeton

Arguably Group 20’s biggest rivalry, the ‘Leeton Derby’ pits the two-time defending champion Greenies against a rising young Hawks team trying to defend their home ground.

Co-Captained by Billy Ingram and Matthew Goodwill for the first time this season, the Yanco side will face a difficult start to 2024, taking on three top 5 sides from the previous season in the Black & Whites, West Wyalong and Yenda around a bye before this massive local derby, as they look to improve upon their 7th-placed finish in 2023.

Meanwhile, Leeton have been rewarded with a slightly easier start to 2024 facing both the returning Waratahs and last year’s wooden spooners TLU in the opening four rounds around a bye and the Grand Final rematch with DPC, meaning they could well be 3-0 coming into the game should things go right for the boys in green.

Either way, this match shapes as a massive test for the Hawks and should draw a sizable crowd to the Yanco Sportsground on Sunday May 5.

Round 7 – Waratahs v Griffith B&W

In what will almost certainly be the most awaited match of the year, the Griffith Waratahs will welcome their cross-town rivals Griffith Black & Whites to the Exies Oval for a long-awaited showdown.

Coming off of spending the 2023 season in recess, the Waratahs will be eager to defeat the perennial contenders from across town, something that will be further enhanced by the fact that the Waratahs are hosting their 60 year reunion the night before.

Meanwhile, the Black and Whites will be out to spoil the party and make a statement of their own, proving that the older brother in the 2680 postcode still reigns supreme.

In summary, this promises to be a fiery encounter between two passionate clubs for city bragging rights on May 19 at Exies Oval.

Round 8 – Yenda v West Wyalong 

After playing out one of the most nail-biting encounters in Group 20 history in last year’s Elimination Final, won 26-20 by Yenda in extra time thanks to an incredible try to Isaiah Little-Buerckner, there is sure to be fireworks when the two sides meet again in Round 8 next year.

Yenda’s open style of footy that has made them the competition’s “entertainers” is in stark contrast to the structure and force which has been a cornerstone of the West Wyalong gameplay for years, which has meant that clashes between the two are always sure to be an entertaining afternoon out at the football for local fans.

All in all, this game is definitely one to circle on the calendar to ensure you’re at Wade Park on Sunday May 26.

Full 2024 Group 20 Rugby League Draw

Notes: 

• All games Sunday unless noted
• Home team listed first
• Secondary venue games (e.g. Tullibigeal, Coleambally) yet to be announced

Round 1 (April 7)

Griffith B&W v Yanco

Hay v TLU Sharks

West Wyalong v Waratahs

Yenda v DPC

Leeton Bye

Round 2 (April 14)

Waratahs v Leeton (Sat 13th)

TLU Sharks v Griffith B&W

DPC v West Wyalong

Hay v Yenda

Yanco Bye

Round 3 (April 21)

Griffith B&W v Hay

Yenda v TLU Sharks

West Wyalong v Yanco

Leeton v DPC

Waratahs Bye

Round 4 (April 28)

Waratahs v DPC (Sat 27th)

Hay v West Wyalong

Yanco v Yenda

TLU Sharks v Leeton

Griffith B&W Bye

Round 5 (May 5)

Hay v Waratahs

West Wyalong v TLU Sharks

Yanco v Leeton

Griffith B&W v Yenda

DPC Bye

Round 6 (May 12)

Leeton v Hay

Griffith B&W v West Wyalong

TLU Sharks v Waratahs

DPC v Yanco

Yenda Bye

Round 7 (May 19)

Leeton v Yenda

DPC v Hay

Yanco v TLU Sharks

Waratahs v Griffith B&W

West Wyalong Bye

Round 8 (May 26)

TLU Sharks v DPC

Yanco v Waratahs

Griffith B&W v Leeton

Yenda v West Wyalong

Hay Bye

Round 9 (June 2)

Griffith B&W v DPC

Yenda v Waratahs

West Wyalong v Leeton

Hay v Yanco

TLU Sharks Bye

General Bye – Long Weekend

Round 10 (June 16)

TLU Sharks v Hay

Waratahs v West Wyalong

DPC v Yenda

Yanco v Griffith B&W

Leeton Bye

Round 11 (June 23)

Leeton v Waratahs

West Wyalong v DPC

Griffith B&W v TLU Sharks

Yenda v Hay

Yanco Bye

Round 12 (June 30)

Hay v Griffith B&W

DPC v Leeton

Yanco v West Wyalong

TLU Sharks v Yenda

Waratahs Bye

Round 13 (July 7)

Yenda v Yanco

DPC v Waratahs

Leeton v TLU Sharks

West Wyalong v Hay

Griffith B&W Bye

Round 14 (July 14)

Yenda v Griffith B&W (Sat 13th)

Waratahs v Hay

TLU Sharks v West Wyalong

Leeton v Yanco

DPC Bye

Round 15 (July 21)

Yanco v DPC

West Wyalong v Griffith B&W

Hay v Leeton

Waratahs v TLU Sharks

Yenda Bye

Round 16 (July 28)

Leeton v Griffith B&W

DPC v TLU Sharks

Waratahs v Yanco

West Wyalong v Yenda

Hay Bye

General Bye – Riverina Junior Carnival (Junee)

Round 17 (August 11)

Yenda v Leeton

Hay v DPC

TLU Sharks v Yanco

Griffith B&W v Waratahs

West Wyalong Bye

Round 18 (August 18)

Waratahs v Yenda (Sat 17th)

DPC v Griffith B&W

Yanco v Hay

Leeton West Wyalong

TLU Sharks Bye