Tallon Smith

The 2025 Group 4 Rugby league season will begin with a soft launch on the first weekend of April as lower grade teams open the campaign without their first grade counterparts to accommodate the competition’s re-modelled Magic Round concept in May.

The four fixtures played on Saturday, April 5 will feature reserve grade, women’s and under 18s matches, with the first grade matchups to be played on the weekend of the 9th, 10th and 11th of May as curtain-raisers for the NSW Cup Magic Round to be played at Scully Park.

The fixtures for round one and the Magic Round will see Werris Creek tackle Gunnedah, Boggabri face North Tamworth, defending premiers Moree Boars take on Dungowan, and Narrabri square off with Kootingal, with Wee Waa having the bye.

Meanwhile, the first round of first grade action, round two, will see Boggabri host Werris Creek and Gunnedah take on Moree on the Saturday, before North Tamworth open their campaign at home against Narrabri, and Wee Waa welcome Dungowan, with Kootingal getting the bye.

The Grand Final rematch between Moree and Boggabri will take place in round nine at Moree’s Boughton Oval, with the return bout set down for the final weekend of the competition, round 18, at Jubilee Oval in Boggabri.

The other games to close out the regular season in round 18 will see Kootingal host North Tamworth, Gunnedah play Wee Waa and Werris Creek take on Narrabri, with Dungowan getting the week off before the playoffs begin.

The finals series will follow from there, with a top four system employed again, leading to the Grand Final on September 20.

Group 4 Chairman Lad Jones said that the Magic Round concept which highlights the draw will be a significant event for the local rugby league community, and the players, who will get to take the field before the NSW Cup matches.

“It’s a great initiative put forward by New South Wales Rugby League and the Northern Region of, which the group is a part of,” he said.

“Obviously the first grade [matches will be], Werris Creek versus Gunnedah, Boggabri versus North Tamworth, Narrabri versus Kootingal, and Moree versus Dungowan, with Wee Waa having the bye because there’s nine sides.

“The actual kickoff times and what days those games will be on hasn’t been confirmed yet.”

Another major step forward this year will be the expansion of the ladies’ tackle competition, which will run for the first six weeks alongside the other four grades, before two finals are played on the weekend of the Magic Round in May to determine the competition premiers. 

“The group is pushing forward with the ladies,” Jones told Battlers For Bush Footy.

“There will be two games [on the Magic Round], depending on numbers and stuff like that, but we’re hoping and very confident that there’ll be two games of ladies tackle on the same weekend. 

“There’ll be a final, that’s the two games on the Magic Round.

“One [match] will be played on the Friday night, and one on the Saturday night.”

The full draw is listed below.

2025 Group 4 Rugby League Draw

Round 1 (NSWRL Magic Round)

Friday 9th/Saturday 10th/Sunday 11th May

Werris Creek v Gunnedah

Boggabri v North Tamworth

Moree v Dungowan

Narrabri v Kootingal

Wee Waa bye

*Note: First Grade only; lower grade games to be played on Saturday, April 5

Round 2

Saturday, April 12

Boggabri v Werris Creek

Gunnedah v Moree

Sunday, April 13

North Tamworth v Narrabri

Wee Waa v Dungowan

Kootingal bye

Round 3

Saturday, April 26

Dungowan v North Tamworth

Kootingal v Gunnedah

Sunday, April 27

Werris Creek v Wee Waa

Narrabri v Boggabri

Moree bye

Round 4

Saturday, May 3

Boggabri v Kootingal

Werris Creek v Dungowan

Sunday, May 4

Wee Waa v Moree

Gunnedah v North Tamworth

Narrabri bye

Round 5

Saturday, May 17

Boggabri v Gunnedah

North Tamworth v Moree

Sunday, May 18

Kootingal v Wee Waa

Dungowan v Narrabri

Werris Creek bye

Round 6

Saturday, May 24

Dungowan v Kootingal

Moree v Werris Creek

Sunday, May 25

Gunnedah v Narrabri

Wee Waa v North Tamworth

Boggabri bye

Round 7

Saturday, May 31

Kootingal v Werris Creek

Gunnedah v Dungowan

Sunday, June 1

Narrabri v Moree

Boggabri v Wee Waa

North Tamworth bye

Round 8

Saturday, June 14

Moree v Kootingal

Dungowan v Boggabri

Sunday, June 15

Wee Waa v Narrabri

Werris Creek v North Tamworth

Gunnedah bye

Round 9

Saturday, June 21

North Tamworth v Kootingal

Moree v Boggabri

Sunday, June 22

Narrabri v Werris Creek

Wee Waa v Gunnedah

Dungowan bye

Round 10

Saturday, June 28

Dungowan v Moree

North Tamworth v Boggabri

Sunday, June 29

Kootingal v Narrabri

Gunnedah v Werris Creek

Wee Waa bye

Round 11

Saturday, July 5

Werris Creek v Boggabri

Moree v Gunnedah

Sunday, July 6

Narrabri v North Tamworth

Dungowan v Wee Waa

Kootingal bye

Round 12

Saturday, July 12

North Tamworth v Dungowan

Gunnedah v Kootingal

Sunday, July 13

Wee Waa v Werris Creek

Boggabri v Narrabri

Moree bye

General bye: Northern Tri-Series – July 19/20

Round 13

Saturday, July 26

Kootingal v Boggabri

Dungowan v Werris Creek

Sunday, July 27

Moree v Wee Waa

North Tamworth v Gunnedah

Narrabri bye

Round 14

Saturday, August 2

Gunnedah v Boggabri

Moree v North Tamworth

Sunday, August 3

Wee Waa v Kootingal

Narrabri v Dungowan

Werris Creek bye

Round 15

Saturday, August 9

Kootingal v Dungowan

Werris Creek v Moree

Sunday, August 10

Narrabri v Gunnedah

North Tamworth v Wee Waa

Boggabri bye

Round 16

Saturday, August 16

Werris Creek v Kootingal

Dungowan v Gunnedah

Sunday, August 17

Moree v Narrabri

Wee Waa v Boggabri

North Tamworth bye

Round 17

Saturday, August 23

North Tamworth v Werris Creek

Boggabri v Dungowan

Sunday, August 24

Narrabri v Wee Waa

Kootingal v Moree

Gunnedah bye

Round 18

Saturday, August 30

Kootingal v North Tamworth

Boggabri v Moree

Sunday, August 31

Gunnedah v Wee Waa

Werris Creek v Narrabri

Dungowan bye

Finals Series

Major Semi – Saturday, September 6

Minor Semi – Sunday, September 7

Preliminary Final – Saturday September 13

Grand Final – Saturday September 20