By Tallon Smith

Rugby league players and fans across North West NSW are counting down the days until the start of the 2024 season after the Group 4 draw was released earlier this week.

The competition will begin in just under a month’s time, with a full suite of games on April 6, the first of an expanded 18 round competition after the addition of the returning Wee Waa Panthers to the league.

The Panthers, who last played in 2017, will begin the season with the bye, before hosting Kootingal-Moonbi in Round 2 to open their campaign.

Round 1 fixtures will see Kootingal take on Narrabri, Dungowan face off with Moree Boars, North Tamworth tackle Boggabri and Gunnedah play Werris Creek, with all four games being held as part of a ‘footy festival’ at Gunnedah’s Kitchener Park.

The Grand Final rematch will take place in Round 2, when North Tamworth host Moree, before the return bout at the Boars’ home ground of Boughton Oval in Round 11.

The season concludes on August 18 with two final day encounters between Narrabri and Wee Waa, and Gunnedah and Kootingal, before a three-week, four-team finals series kicks off the following weekend.

All nine First Grade teams have been listed to field a Reserve Grade squad in 2024, although this is still subject to player availability.

All clubs are also expected to field a Ladies League Tag team, although the number fielding an Under 18s side is still largely unknown, with a five to six team competition expected as per previous seasons.

The nine-team First Grade competition is the biggest that Group 4 has run since 2017.

The full draw is attached below.

Full 2024 Group 4 Rugby League Draw

Notes:

• Home team listed first in all rounds

Round 1 (6 April)

Kootingal-Moonbi v Narrabri

Dungowan v Moree Boars

North Tamworth v Boggabri

Gunnedah v Werris Creek

Wee Waa bye

Round 2 (13-14 April)

Narrabri v Werris Creek

Gunnedah v Boggabri

Wee Waa v Kootingal-Moonbi

North Tamworth v Moree Boars

Dungowan bye

Round 3 (20-21 April)

North Tamworth v Dungowan

Boggabri v Narrabri

Moree Boars v Gunnedah

Werris Creek v Wee Waa

Kootingal-Moonbi bye

Round 4 (27-28 April)

Dungowan v Gunnedah

Kootingal-Moonbi v Werris Creek

Wee Waa v Boggabri

Narrabri v Moree Boars

North Tamworth bye

Round 5 (4-5 May)

Narrabri v Dungowan

Boggabri v Kootingal-Moonbi

Moree Boars v Wee Waa

Gunnedah v North Tamworth

Round 6 (18-19 May)

Werris Creek v Boggabri

Kootingal-Moonbi v Moree Boars

Wee Waa v Dungowan

North Tamworth v Narrabri

Gunnedah bye

Round 7 (25-26 May)

Moree Boars v Werris Creek

Dungowan v Kootingal-Moonbi

Wee Waa v North Tamworth

Narrabri v Gunnedah

Boggabri bye

Round 8 (1-2 June)

Werris Creek v Dungowan

Kootingal-Moonbi v North Tamworth

Boggabri v Moree Boars

Gunnedah v Wee Waa

Narrabri bye

Round 9 (15-16 June)

Dungowan v Boggabri

North Tamworth v Werris Creek

Wee Waa v Narrabri

Kootingal-Moonbi v Gunnedah

Moree Boars bye

Round 10 (22-23 June)

Moree Boars v Dungowan

Narrabri v Kootingal-Moonbi

Werris Creek v Gunnedah

Boggabri v North Tamworth

Wee Waa bye

Round 11 (29-30 June)

Moree Boars v North Tamworth

Boggabri v Gunnedah

Werris Creek v Narrabri

Kootingal-Moonbi v Wee Waa
Dungowan bye

Round 12 (6-7 July)

Narrabri v Boggabri

Dungowan v North Tamworth

Wee Waa v Werris Creek

Gunnedah v Moree Boars

Kootingal-Moonbi bye

Round 13 (13-14 July)

Werris Creek v Kootingal-Moonbi

Gunnedah v Dungowan

Moree Boars v Narrabri

Boggabri v Wee Waa

North Tamworth bye

Round 14 (20-21 July)

North Tamworth v Gunnedah

Kootingal-Moonbi v Boggabri

Wee Waa v Moree Boars

Dungowan v Narrabri

Werris Creek bye

Round 15 (27-28 July)

Moree Boars v Kootingal-Moonbi

Boggabri v Werris Creek

Narrabri v North Tamworth

Dungowan v Wee Waa

Gunnedah bye

Round 16 (3-4 August)

Werris Creek v Moree Boars

Kootingal-Moonbi v Dungowan

North Tamworth v Wee Waa

Gunnedah v Narrabri

Boggabri bye

Round 17 (10-11 August)

Dungowan v Werris Creek

North Tamworth v Kootingal-Moonbi

Moree Boars v Boggabri

Wee Waa v Gunnedah

Narrabri bye

Round 18 (17-18 August)

Werris Creek v North Tamworth

Boggabri v Dungowan

Narrabri v Wee Waa

Gunnedah v Kootingal-Moonbi

Moree Boars bye

Finals

Semi Finals – 24 August

Preliminary Finals – 31 August

Grand Final – 7 September