By Tallon Smith

The Moruya Sharks and Snowy River Bears have emerged as the teams to beat in the 2024 Group 16 First Grade competition, with both teams remaining unbeaten after four rounds of play.

The two sides sit on 8 competition points, two clear of fellow top five sides Merimbula-Pambula, Eden and Tathra, while Cooma, Batemans Bay, Bega and Bombala round out the bottom four.

The Sharks continued their winning ways on the weekend with a 24-10 defeat of the Cooma Stallions at the Cooma Showground on Sunday.

After spending last season in recess, the Sharks have returned with a bang in 2024, with wins over Tathra and Bega in the opening two rounds of the competition before a bye in Round 3 and the victory on Sunday.

Also in Round 4 action on the weekend, the Merimbula-Pambula Bulldogs recorded a 50-4 win over the Bombala Blue Heelers in the latter’s annual ‘Delegate Game’.

The match sees the Blue Heelers honour the legacy of the Delegate Tigers, based in the nearby town close to the NSW/Victoria Border, who completed in various competitions across the region until they merged into the Blue Heelers in the late 1970s.

The reigning premier Bulldogs sit in third place with two wins and one loss after three games, with their only defeat at the hands of the joint competition leaders Snowy River 30-20 last weekend.

Meanwhile, last season’s runners-up the Tathra Sea Eagles joined the Bulldogs and Sharks as victors with an 18-6 defeat of the Bega Roosters.

The Sea Eagles sit in 5th with two wins and one loss, behind Merimbula-Pambula and Eden on points differential, while the Roosters, who won the premiership in 2022 before taking home the wooden spoon last year, sit in 8th place with a 1-2 record.

Three teams had the bye on the weekend, with Batemans Bay, Eden and Snowy River enjoying a week’s rest before returning to the action next weekend.

Ten clubs remain affiliated to the senior body for rugby league in the mountains and on the Sapphire Coast, with each fielding at least one grade this season.

Nine are contesting the First Grade competition in 2024, with Batemans Bay, Bega, Bombala, Cooma, Eden, Merimbula-Pambula, Snowy River and Tathra continuing from last year, while Moruya have returned from recess, effectively replacing Narooma, who will only field Under 18s this year.

Eight clubs are contesting Reserve Grade, with Bombala being the team without a second senior male team in 2024, while six clubs will contest Ladies League Tag, with Bega, Bombala, Cooma, Eden, Merimbula-Pambula and Tathra fielding sides. 

The Under 18s competition comprises six teams; Batemans Bay, Bega, Cooma, Moruya, Merimbula-Pambula and the aforementioned Narooma Devils.

The regular season will run until July 28, followed by a five-team finals series in all grades.

2024 Group 16 Rugby League draw – remaining rounds

Note: Home team listed first

Round 5 (11/12 May)

Cooma v Snowy River

Batemans Bay v Moruya

Tathra v Bombala

Merimbula-Pambula v Eden

Bega bye

Round 6 (18/19 May)

Eden v Moruya

Bega v Bombala

Batemans Bay v Cooma 

Merimbula-Pambula v Tathra

Snowy River bye

Round 7 (25/26 May)

Bombala v Batemans Bay

Moruya v Merimbula-Pambula

Cooma v Bega

Snowy River v Tathra

Eden bye

Round 8 (1/2 June)

Tathra v Cooma

Moruya v Snowy River

Bega v Merimbula-Pambula

Batemans Bay v Eden

Bombala

Round 9 (15/16 June)

Tathra v Eden

Bombala v Moruya 

Snowy River v Bega

Merimbula-Pambula v Batemans Bay

Round 10 (22/23 June)

Eden v Cooma

Moruya v Tathra

Bombala v Snowy River

Batemans Bay v Bega

Merimbula-Pambula bye

Round 11 (29/30 June)

Cooma v Merimbula-Pambula

Moruya v Bega

Eden v Bombala

Snowy River v Batemans Bay

Tathra bye

Round 12 (7/8 July)

Bega v Eden

Batemans Bay v Tathra

Merimbula-Pambula v Snowy River

Moruya, Bombala, Cooma byes

Round 13 (20/21 July)

Tathra v Bega

Moruya v Cooma

Eden v Snowy River

Merimbula-Pambula v Bombala

Batemans Bay bye

Round 14 (27/28 July)

Moruya v Batemans Bay

Snowy River v Cooma

Bombala v Tathra

Eden v Merimbula-Pambula

Bega bye

Cover photo courtesy of Ruby Scott/Moruya Sharks RLFC Facebook