By Tallon Smith

The long off-season is finally coming to an end and football is on the horizon, with the Peter McDonald Premiership draw being released for the 2024 season.

After a highly competitive and entertaining season in 2023, the competition is looking like a wide open race again this season, with any number of clubs from both Groups 10 and 11 looking like genuine contenders at the starting line.

The competition format has changed again from last year, with teams playing everyone in the other group once (6 games), and all bar one team in their own group twice (9 games) for a total of 15 games.

In contrast, last year’s 14-game season saw teams play everyone in their own group twice, with just four crossover games against teams from the other group.

Marquee fixtures have been announced, including a ‘Round Zero’ clash the weekend before ANZAC Day between Bathurst Panthers and Lithgow, as well as the annual Parkes v Forbes game on the June Long Weekend.

Mudgee will host Dubbo CYMS in the Grand Final rematch at Glen Willow Oval in Round 6, while there are Dubbo and Bathurst Derbies in Rounds 1 and 13, and Orange Derbies in Rounds 5 and 11.

The finals series will remain the same as an eight team format, the same as the NRL’s.

The full draw is attached below.

Full 2024 Peter McDonald Premiership Draw (Group 10/11)

• Home team listed first
• All Sunday games unless noted

Round Zero – ANZAC Round (20th April)

Bathurst Panthers v Lithgow (First Grade)

Round 1 – ANZAC Round (28th April)

Dubbo CYMS v Dubbo Macquarie

Nyngan v Wellington

Orange Hawks v Lithgow 

Mudgee v Orange CYMS

Bathurst Panthers v Bathurst St Pats

Forbes, Parkes bye

Round 2 (5th May)

Bathurst Panthers v Dubbo CYMS

Orange CYMS v Forbes Magpies

Lithgow Workies Wolves v Nyngan Tigers (neutral venue)

Dubbo Macquarie Raiders v Mudgee Dragons

Parkes Spacemen v Bathurst St Pats

Wellington Cowboys v Orange Hawks

Round 3 (12th May)

Forbes v Bathurst Panthers

Nyngan v Orange CYMS

Dubbo Macquarie v Lithgow

Mudgee v Parkes

Bathurst St Pats v Wellington

Orange Hawks v Dubbo CYMS

Round 4 (19th May)

Wellington v Forbes

Dubbo CYMS v Nyngan

Parkes v Dubbo Macquarie

Bathurst St Pats v Orange Hawks

Lithgow v Mudgee

Orange CYMS v Bathurst Panthers

Round 5 Indigenous Round (26th May – National Sorry Day)

Orange CYMS v Orange Hawks

Bathurst Panthers v Mudgee

Lithgow v Bathurst St Pats

Forbes v Dubbo Macquarie

Nyngan v Parkes

Dubbo CYMS v Wellington

Round 6 (2nd June)

Dubbo Macquarie v Bathurst Panthers

Parkes v Orange CYMS

Wellington v Lithgow

Mudgee v Dubbo CYMS

Bathurst St Pats v Forbes

Orange Hawks v Nyngan Tigers

Round 7 (9th June – Long Weekend)

Parkes v Forbes

Round 8 (16th June)

Bathurst Panthers v Nyngan

Orange CYMS v Dubbo Macquarie

Lithgow v Parkes

Mudgee v Wellington

Dubbo CYMS v Bathurst St Pats

Forbes v Orange Hawks

Round 9 (23rd June)

Dubbo CYMS v Parkes

Wellington v Dubbo Macquarie

Nyngan v Forbes

Orange Hawks v Bathurst Panthers

Lithgow v Orange CYMS

Bathurst St Pats v Mudgee

Round 10 (30th June)

Bathurst Panthers v Parkes

Orange CYMS v Wellington

Lithgow v Dubbo CYMS

Forbes v Mudgee

Nyngan v Bathurst St Pats

Dubbo Macquarie v Orange Hawks

Round 11 – Split Round (7th July)

Orange Hawks v Orange CYMS

Mudgee v Bathurst Panthers

Bathurst St Pats v Lithgow

(14th July)

Dubbo Macquarie v Forbes

Parkes v Nyngan

Wellington v Dubbo CYMS

Round 12 (21st July)

Dubbo CYMS v Forbes

Parkes v Wellington

Nyngan v Dubbo Macquarie

Bathurst St Pats v Bathurst Panthers

Lithgow v Orange Hawks

Orange CYMS v Mudgee

Round 13 (27th-28th July)

Orange Hawks v Mudgee (Saturday)

Bathurst Panthers v Lithgow (Reserves, U18s and LLT)

Orange CYMS v Bathurst St Pats

Dubbo Macquarie v Dubbo CYMS

Forbes v Parkes

Wellington v Nyngan

Round 14 (3rd-4th August)

Forbes v Lithgow (Saturday)

Wellington v Bathurst Panthers

Dubbo CYMS v Orange CYMS

Mudgee v Nyngan

Bathurst St Pats v Dubbo Macquarie

Parkes v Orange Hawks

Round 15 (11th August)

Orange Hawks v Bathurst St Pats

Mudgee v Lithgow

Bathurst Panthers v Orange CYMS
Forbes v Wellington

Nyngan v Dubbo CYMS
Dubbo Macquarie v Parkes

Finals

Finals Week 1 (Qualifying and Elimination Finals) – 17/18th August

Semi Finals – 24/25th August

Preliminary Finals – 31st August/1st September

Peter McDonald Premiership Grand Final (Group 10/11)  – Sunday 8th September