By Tallon Smith

Shockwaves have been sent through local football competitions again in 2024 with the withdrawal of clubs from both the Castlereagh League and Woodbridge Cup over the weekend.

The Binnaway Bombshells and 2020 Premiers Dunedoo have pulled out of the Castlereagh First Grade competition for 2024, whilst the Condobolin Rams have withdrawn from the Woodbridge competition after a strong campaign last year.

After the loss of two clubs the Castlereagh League required a new draw, with competition Secretary Bryson Luff describing the situation as “far from ideal” but also easily understood when given context.

“Given the background and the context in which it was framed it is seen as being much fairer to our first-grade teams and it was the option that our clubs unanimously voted to go with,” he said.

“To fully understand as to why the new draw had to be made, people must realise what has led us to this point.”

Luff said that while the new draw may “cop some flak”, the tough decision had to be made for the good of the competition.

“In more recent times, we have unfortunately had both Dunedoo and Binnaway withdraw from the first grade competition and even more unfortunately both those clubs were in the same pool which meant that some first-grade teams would have had four byes, some three and some two which was obviously unfair,” he said.

“So, we were faced with the dilemma of having ten clubs (Dunedoo and Binnaway still have league tag teams), eight with first grade, an uneven number of byes in first grade, grounds booked and trying to squeeze an equitable competition into 14 rounds for all grades.

“At a recent General Meeting our clubs were presented with three options. They were, 1) keep the original draw, 2) do an entirely new draw or, 3) adopt a revamped draw that meant minimal changes to the original draw but resulted in all first-grade teams having an equal number of byes.

“The third option was voted in unanimously.” 

The new draw will see four additional first grade games added to the competition, with every team now receiving two byes.

Some anomalies have been created, such as when Coonabarabran play Coolah and Coonamble three times over the course of the season, but Luff said it was a necessary decision to take this approach.

“As I said it is far from ideal, but it certainly is fairer (for first grade teams) than staying with the original draw, and it is far less disruptive than doing an entirely new draw which would have faced the same issues of first grade teams having an unequal number of byes anyway.”

The full draw is attached below.

Meanwhile, the Woodbridge Cup has also lost a club for 2024 after the Condobolin Rams announced they were going into recess on Sunday evening.

A statement posted to the club’s facebook page said that “the decision was not made lightly, but the Condobolin Rams and Ramettes will not be entering teams in the Woodbridge Cup for the 2024 season.”

Despite the loss of the Rams, the Woodbridge Cup has increased from 12 to 13 teams this year after Blayney and Cowra joined from Group 10.

2024 Castlereagh League Draw 

Round 1

27 April

Cobar V Narromine

Gilgandra V Dunedoo (LT @ Coolah)

Baradine V Gulgong

Coonabarabran V Coonamble

Coolah V Binnaway (LT) /Gilgandra (FG)

Round 2

4 May

Coonamble V Coolah

Baradine V Coonabarabran

Gulgong V Cobar

Narromine V Gilgandra

Binnaway V Dunedoo

Round 3

11 May

Coonamble V Dunedoo(LT)/Narromine(FG)

Gilgandra V Gulgong

Binnaway V Narromine (LT)

Cobar V Baradine

Coolah V Coonabarabran

Round 4

18 May

Baradine V Gilgandra

Coonamble V Binnaway(LT)/ Coonabarabran (FG)

Gulgong V Narromine

Cobar V Coolah

Coonabarabran V Dunedoo (LT)

Round 5

25 May

Coolah V Gulgong

Coonamble V Baradine

Binnaway V Gilgandra

Dunedoo V Narromine

Coonabarabran v Cobar

Round 6

1 June

Cobar V Dunedoo

Narromine V Coonamble

Baradine V Coolah

Gulgong V Binnaway

Gilgandra V Coonabarabran

Round 7

15 June

Dunedoo V Baradine

Binnaway V Cobar

Coolah V Narromine

Coonamble V Gilgandra

Coonabarabran V Gulgong

Round 8

22 June

Narromine V Coonabarabran

Baradine V Binnaway

Gulgong V Dunedoo

Gilgandra V Coolah

Cobar V Coonamble

Round 9

29 June

Coolah V Dunedoo

Coonamble v Gulgong

Binnaway V Coonabarabran

Narromine V Baradine

Gilgandra V Cobar

Round 10

6 July

Binnaway V Coolah

Coonamble V Coonabarabran

Gulgong V Baradine

Narromine V Cobar

Dunedoo V Gilgandra

Round 11

13 July

Coolah V Coonamble

Gilgandra V Narromine

Coonabarabran V Baradine

Dunedoo V Binnaway

Cobar V Gulgong

Round 12

20 July

Dunedoo V Coonamble

Coonabarabran V Coolah

Narromine V Binnaway

Gulgong V Gilgandra

Baradine V Cobar

Round 13

27 July

Coolah V Cobar

Narromine V Gulgong

Binnaway V Coonamble

Dunedoo V Coonabarabran

Gilgandra V Baradine

Round 14

3 August

Coonabarabran V Binnaway(LT)/Coolah (FG)

Baradine V Narromine

Gulgong V Coonamble

Dunedoo V Coolah (LT)

Cobar V Gilgandra

Finals

Sat 10 Aug (A) – 2 nd V 3 rd

Sun 11 Aug – (B)- 4 th V 5 th

Sat 17 Aug (C) – 1 st V Winner (A)

Sun 18 Aug (D) – Loser (A) v Winner (B)

Sat 24 Aug (E)- Loser (C) v Winner (D)

Sat 31 August GRAND FINAL

Winner (C) v Winner (E)

Cover photo: Dunedoo take on Cobar in last year’s Minor Semi Final (courtesy Bryson Luff/Castlereagh Rugby League)