Peter McDonald Premiership

Blockbuster opening round highlights 2025 Peter McDonald Premiership draw

Cover Photo: Rodders Photos

Tallon Smith

Rugby league players and supporters across the Central West are gearing up for another big season after the draw for the 2025 Peter McDonald Premiership season was released this week.

A blockbuster opening round highlights the fixture, with all six games in the opening round being traditional rivalry match-ups between former Group 10 and 11 rivals.

The opening game will see Bathurst St. Pats host Bathurst Panthers at Jack Arrow Oval in a derby match on Saturday, April 26.

Other games in the opening round on the Sunday will see a Dubbo Derby between Macquarie and CYMS, while Wellington will host Nyngan, Lithgow tackle Orange Hawks, Orange CYMS face Mudgee, and Forbes take on arch-rivals Parkes.

Round three will see all clubs come together to celebrate Women in League round, with the weekend’s action highlighted by a Mother’s Day derby between Orange CYMS and Orange Hawks at Wade Park.

Other themed rounds for the 2025 season are ANZAC Round in round one, Beanie for Brain Cancer Round in round nine, First Nations Round in round 10, and Licensed Clubs Round in round 12.

The return bout of the Bathurst Derby will take place at Carrington Park ahead of the NRL game between the Panthers and the Knights on Saturday, May 24.

The Grand Final rematch will take place in Round 11 on July 20, when Mudgee travel to Parkes to face the Spacemen at Jock Colley Field.

Peter McDonald Premiership Chairman and NSWRL Board Member Bob Walsh acknowledged that while the draw certainly has many highlights, issues with venue availability meant that the ideal fixture the committee envisioned did not eventuate.

“It was supposed to be a mirror reverse of last season,” he said.

“The NRL games and the councils needing them for four weeks before the games meant that couldn’t happen.

“The NRL game in Mudgee late in the season means they can’t play home games then.

“Lithgow [also] has five home games in a row to finish the season, which isn’t great.”

Orange CYMS will face cross-town rivals Hawks in rounds three and 10 (Photo: Rodders Photos)

One aspect Walsh was particularly pleased with was the opening round, with the blockbuster rivalry matches set to draw strong interest from around the region.

“There’s some big rivalry games in round one,” he said.

“We’re hoping it will be a springboard into the rest of the season.”

The other major initiative is the themed rounds which will take place across the season, with Walsh telling Battlers For Bush Footy that each will serve to highlight something important within the game.

“The rounds are NSWRL initiatives,” he said.

“In Women in League round we will celebrate the contribution of women to the game, while in First Nations Round we will celebrate the many Indigenous people who are involved in the competition.”

The season is set to kick off on April 26, with the full draw listed below.

Full 2025 Peter McDonald Premiership Draw

Round 1 – ANZAC Round 

Saturday 26 April 

  • Bathurst St. Pats v Bathurst Panthers  

Sunday 27 April 

  • Dubbo Macquarie v Dubbo CYMS  
  • Wellington Cowboys v Nyngan Tigers  
  • Lithgow Workies v Orange Hawks  
  • Orange CYMS v Mudgee Dragons  
  • Forbes Magpies v Parkes Spacemen  

Round 2 

Saturday 3 May 

  • Nyngan Tigers v Lithgow Workies  

Sunday 4 May 

  • Forbes Magpies v Orange CYMS  
  • Dubbo CYMS v Bathurst Panthers  
  • Mudgee Dragons v Dubbo Macquarie  
  • Bathurst St. Pats v Parkes Spacemen  
  • Orange Hawks v Wellington Cowboys  

Round 3 – Women in League Round 

Sunday 11 May 

  • Orange CYMS v Orange Hawks  
  • Mudgee Dragons v Bathurst Panthers
  • Lithgow Workies v Bathurst St Pats  
  • Dubbo Macquarie v Forbes Magpies 
  • Parkes Spacemen v Nyngan Tigers  
  • Wellington Cowboys v Dubbo CYMS 

Round 4 

Sunday 18 May 

  • Wellington Cowboys v Forbes Magpies 
  • Nyngan Tigers v Dubbo CYMS  
  • Dubbo Macquarie v Parkes Spacemen  
  • Bathurst St. Patricks v Orange Hawks  
  • Mudgee Dragons v Lithgow Workies
  • Orange CYMS v Bathurst Panthers  

Round 5 

Saturday 24 May 

  • Bathurst Panthers v Bathurst St Pats (First Grade Only)

Sunday 25 May 

  • Bathurst Panthers v Bathurst St Pats (LT, 18s, Reserves)
  • Mudgee Dragons v Orange CYMS
  • Orange Hawks v Lithgow Workies  
  • Wellington Cowboys v Parkes Spacemen  
  • Dubbo Macquarie v Nyngan Tigers  
  • Forbes Magpies v Dubbo CYMS  

Round 6 

Sunday 1 June 

  • Forbes Magpies v Bathurst St Pats  
  • Bathurst Panthers v Dubbo Macquarie
  • Orange CYMS v Parkes Spacemen  
  • Lithgow Workies v Wellington Cowboys  
  • Dubbo CYMS v Mudgee Dragons  
  • Nyngan Tigers v Orange Hawks  

Round 12 – Split Round 

Sunday 8 June (Long Weekend) 

  • Parkes Spacemen v Forbes Magpies  

Round 7 

Sunday 15 June 

  • Nyngan Tigers v Bathurst Panthers  
  • Dubbo Macquarie v Orange CYMS  
  • Parkes Spacemen v Lithgow Workies  
  • Bathurst St Pats v Dubbo CYMS  
  • Orange Hawks v Forbes Magpies  
  • Wellington Cowboys v Mudgee Dragons  

Round 8 

Saturday 21 June 

  • Orange CYMS v Lithgow Workies  

Sunday 22 June 

  • Dubbo Macquarie v Wellington Cowboys 
  • Parkes Spacemen v Dubbo CYMS
  • Forbes Magpies v Nyngan Tigers
  • Bathurst Panthers v Orange Hawks 
  • Mudgee Dragons v Bathurst St Pats

Round 9 – Beanies for Brain Cancer Round 

Saturday 28 June 

  • Mudgee Dragons v Forbes Magpies

Sunday 29 June 

  • Wellington Cowboys v Orange CYMS  
  • Dubbo CYMS v Lithgow Workies  
  • Parkes Spacemen v Bathurst Panthers  
  • Bathurst St Pats v Nyngan Tigers  
  • Orange Hawks v Dubbo Macquarie  

Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 July reserved for wet weather

Round 10 – First Nations Round 

Saturday 12 July 

  • Bathurst St Pats v Lithgow Workies  
  • Bathurst Panthers v Mudgee Dragons

Sunday 13 July 

  • Orange Hawks v Orange CYMS  
  • Forbes Magpies v Dubbo Macquarie  
  • Nyngan Tigers v Parkes Spacemen  
  • Dubbo CYMS v Wellington Cowboys 

Round 11 

Sunday 20 July 

  • Lithgow Workies v Dubbo Macquarie
  • Wellington Cowboys v Bathurst St Pats  
  • Bathurst Panthers v Forbes Magpies 
  • Dubbo CYMS v Orange Hawks  
  • Parkes Spacemen v Mudgee Dragons  
  • Orange CYMS v Nyngan Tigers  

Round 12 – Licensed Clubs Round – Split Round 

Saturday 26 July 

  • Mudgee Dragons v Orange Hawks
  • Lithgow Workies v Bathurst Panthers  

Sunday 27 July 

  • Bathurst St Pats v Orange CYMS  
  • Dubbo CYMS v Dubbo Macquarie  
  • Nyngan Tigers v Wellington Cowboys  
  • Bye – Parkes & Forbes (played R12 Sunday 8 June) 

Round 13 

Saturday 2 August 

  • Lithgow Workies v Forbes Magpies  
  • Orange CYMS v Dubbo CYMS  

Sunday 3 August 

  • Bathurst Panthers v Wellington Cowboys
  • Nyngan Tigers v Mudgee Dragons  
  • Dubbo Macquarie v Bathurst St Pats  
  • Orange Hawks v Parkes Spacemen  

Round 14 

Saturday 9 August 

  • Lithgow Workies v Mudgee Dragons  

Sunday 10 August 

  • Orange Hawks v Bathurst St Pats  
  • Bathurst Panthers v Orange CYMS 
  • Dubbo CYMS v Nyngan Tigers  
  • Forbes Magpies v Wellington Cowboys  
  • Parkes Spacemen v Dubbo Macquarie  

Finals Series 

  • Quarter Finals – Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 August 
  • Semi Finals – Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 August 
  • Preliminary Finals – Saturday 30 & Sunday 31 August 
  • Grand Final – Sunday 7 September

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