Peter McDonald Premiership

Five must-see games this season as Peter McDonald Premiership season begins this weekend

Tallon Smith

Rivalries in the Central West’s premier rugby league competition are set to renew for another year this weekend, when round one of the Peter McDonald Premiership kicks off.

Beginning with a clash between Bathurst St Pats and Lithgow Workies on Saturday, the first grade competition will again feature 12 teams this season, with the Wellington Cowboys confirming their entry last month.

The opening round action will continue on Sunday, with five games as the Bathurst Panthers host Orange CYMS, the Dubbo Macquarie Raiders tackle the Forbes Magpies, the Parkes Spacemen welcome Dubbo CYMS, the Wellington Cowboys take on the Nyngan Tigers, and the Orange Hawks square off with the Mudgee Dragons.

With the entire draw released to the public, Battlers For Bush Footy has selected five must-see games from the season ahead, featuring some of the competition’s top sides and long-standing rivalries.

Bathurst Panthers v Orange CYMS – Round 1 (April 18), Carrington Park

All round one games attract interest, but this one is the clear standout. The massive signing of Blake Ferguson from Wellington dominated the news cycle over the off-season, with the Kangaroos representative playing a key role in Orange CYMS’ first West Wyalong Knockout title win back in late February. However, the Panthers have landed an NRL-quality outside back of their own in former Rabbitohs, Broncos and Storm centre Richie Kennar. Add to that the signing of Claude Gordon as captain-coach, and the Panthers have assembled a strong side of their own. A big crowd should be on hand this weekend when the Bathurst side welcomes Jack Buchanan’s men to Carrington Park for what shapes as an early test of both sides’ mettle.

Orange CYMS had a strong start to the season, taking out the West Wyalong Knockout (Photo: Supplied)
Dubbo CYMS v Dubbo Macquarie – Round 2 (April 25), Apex Oval

An Anzac Day Dubbo Derby on its own is enough reason to show up to Apex Oval. However, add to that the fact that CYMS go in as defending premiers, and Macquarie have welcomed back Justin Toomey-White, and the stakes are even higher. The Fishies will naturally go in favourites to the match, but with an improved Raiders side looking to build on a finals appearance last year, Jarryn Powyer’s men won’t be taking their opponents lightly. This is another match that should draw a strong attendance, and has the potential to be another classic in this long and storied rivalry.

Dubbo CYMS coach Jarryn Powyer returns to the role for a second time this year (Photo: Dubbo CYMS Footy Photos)
Parkes Spacemen v Forbes Magpies – Long Weekend (June 7), Jock Colley Field

This rivalry is quickly becoming noticed on a greater scale statewide. The standalone long weekend fixture when other groups hit pause on their competitions naturally gives the Spacemen and Magpies the spotlight, and bush footy fans respond, turning out in their droves. On the field, this one shapes as another big one. By the time this leg of the local derby rolls around, the sides will already have faced each other once at Spooner Oval in round four, and the competition ladder will be beginning to take shape. This will add even further intrigue to the King’s Birthday weekend battle, with the hungry Magpies set to travel to enemy territory to take on Sam Dwyer’s men, who have been bolstered by a number of off-season signings including hooker Campbell Woolnough. This one can’t come quick enough.

Parkes will be aiming for improvement under coach Sam Dwyer (Photo: Supplied)
Mudgee Dragons v Dubbo CYMS – Round 9 (June 21), Glen Willow Sports Complex

The last two premiers of the competition, the Dragons (2 grand final appearances) and Fishies (3 grand final appearances) have been, alongside Forbes (2 grand final appearances), the benchmark sides of the competition since the PMP was inaugurated in 2022. With the Dragons boasting NRL level talent in veteran playmaker Jack Littlejohn, new signing James Tuitahi, and a number of local stars including Max Batty, Cody Lawson, David West and Bailey Hartwig, last season’s preliminary finalists will be looking to go one better and earn a shot at a second title in three years. The Fishies will be one of the main obstacles to this, and therefore this match looms as a major mid-season test for both sides, should they start the season well. If this next meeting is anything like their epic Qualifying Final meeting won 16-12 by CYMS last year, it could end up being one of the best games of the regular season.

Dubbo CYMS star Jeremy Thurston looks to beat Mudgee defenders (Photo: Dubbo CYMS Footy Photos)
Dubbo CYMS v Forbes Magpies – Round 10 (June 28), Apex Oval

Footy fans across the region will have to wait until round 10 for the rematch of last year’s epic Grand Final. However, if it is anything like the original, the sequel will be worth the wait. After re-signing the hero from last year’s decider in Jeremy Thurston, and with Jarryn Powyer stepping up to the coaching role, the Fishies head into the season a good chance of becoming the first side to defend a PMP title. However, after making a charge to the big dance last year following a number of additions including the key signing of Chad Porter, the Magpies will be hungry for revenge after going as close as a team can without achieving the ultimate glory. Could this rivalry become bush footy’s answer to the epic Broncos v Cowboys matches of the mid 2010s? All will be revealed on June 28 at Apex Oval.

Forbes players celebrate a try in last year’s preliminary final win over Mudgee (Photo: Tallon Smith)

Full 2026 Peter McDonald Premiership Draw 

  • Home team listed first
  • All games Saturday unless noted

Round 1 (18-19 April)

Bathurst St Pats v Lithgow Workies (Saturday)

Bathurst Panthers v Orange CYMS

Dubbo Macquarie v Forbes Magpies

Parkes Spacemen v Dubbo CYMS

Wellington Cowboys v Nyngan Tigers

Orange Hawks v Mudgee Dragons

Round 2 (25-26 April)

Dubbo CYMS v Dubbo Macquarie (Saturday)

Bathurst Panthers v Bathurst St Pats

Nyngan Tigers v Parkes Spacemen

Orange CYMS v Mudgee Dragons

Wellington Cowboys v Forbes Magpies

Lithgow Workies v Orange Hawks

Round 3 (3 May)

Bathurst Panthers v Mudgee Dragons

Nyngan Tigers v Forbes Magpies

Parkes Spacemen v Dubbo Macquarie

Dubbo CYMS v Wellington Cowboys

Lithgow Workies v Orange CYMS

Orange Hawks v Bathurst St Pats

Round 4 (9-10 May)

Orange CYMS v Orange Hawks (Saturday)

Nyngan Tigers v Dubbo CYMS

Dubbo Macquarie v Wellington Cowboys

Mudgee Dragons v Bathurst St Pats

Lithgow Workies v Bathurst Panthers

Forbes Magpies v Parkes Spacemen

Round 5 (17 May)

Bathurst St Pats v Dubbo Macquarie

Orange CYMS v Wellington Cowboys

Mudgee Dragons v Nyngan Tigers

Dubbo CYMS v Bathurst Panthers

Lithgow Workies v Parkes Spacemen

Forbes Magpies v Orange Hawks

Round 6 (23-24 May)

Dubbo Macquarie v Orange CYMS

Forbes Magpies v Lithgow Workies

Nyngan Tigers v Bathurst Panthers

Orange Hawks v Dubbo CYMS

Mudgee Dragons v Wellington Cowboys

Parkes Spacemen v Bathurst St Pats

Round 7 (30-31 May)

Bathurst St Pats v Forbes Magpies (saturday)

Dubbo Macquarie v Mudgee Dragons (Saturday)

Parkes Spacemen v Orange CYMS

Wellington Cowboys v Bathurst Panthers

Lithgow Workies v Dubbo CYMS

Orange CYMS v Nyngan Tigers

Long Weekend (7 June)

Parkes Spacemen v Forbes Magpies

Round 8 (13-14 June)

Orange Hawks v Lithgow Workies (Saturday)

Bathurst St Pats v Bathurst Panthers

Mudgee Dragons v Orange CYMS

Wellington Cowboys v Dubbo Macquarie

Dubbo CYMS v Nyngan Tigers

Round 9 (21 June)

Bathurst Panthers v Forbes Magpies

Dubbo Macquarie v Lithgow Workies

Parkes Spacemen v Orange Hawks

Bathurst St Pats v Wellington Cowboys

Mudgee Dragons v Dubbo CYMS

Orange CYMS v Nyngan Tigers

Round 10 (28 June)

Bathurst Panthers v Orange Hawks

Nyngan Tigers v Dubbo Macquarie

Orange CYMS v Bathurst St Pats

Dubbo CYMS v Forbes Magpies

Wellington Cowboys v Parkes Spacemen

Lithgow Workies v Mudgee Dragons

Round 11 (5 July)

Orange CYMS v Bathurst Panthersin

Mudgee Dragons v Orange Hawks

Dubbo CYMS v Parkes Spacemen

Forbes Magpies v Dubbo Macquarie

Lithgow Workies v Bathurst St Pats

Standalone Game (19 July)

Nyngan Tigers v Wellington Cowboys 

Round 12 (11-12 July)

Mudgee Dragons v Parkes Spacemen (Saturday)

Dubbo CYMS v Bathurst St Pats (Saturday)

Lithgow Workies v Nyngan Tigers (Saturday)

Bathurst Panthers v Dubbo Macquarie

Orange CYMS v Forbes Magpies

Wellington Cowboys v Orange Hawks

Round 13 (25-26 July)

Bathurst Panthers v Lithgow Workies (Saturday)

Dubbo Macquarie v Dubbo CYMS (Saturday)

Parkes Spacemen v Nyngan Tigers

Bathurst St Pats v Mudgee Dragons

Orange Hawks v Orange CYMS

Forbes Magpies v Wellington Cowboys

Round 14 (2 August)

Nyngan Tigers v Bathurst St Pats

Dubbo CYMS v Orange CYMS

Wellington Cowboys v Lithgow Workies

Orange Hawks v Dubbo Macquarie

Forbes Magpies v Mudgee Dragons

Bathurst Panthers v Parkes Spacemen

Round 15 (9 Aug)

Dubbo Macquarie v Parkes Spacemen

Bathurst St Pats v Orange Hawks

Orange CYMS v Lithgow Workies

Mudgee Dragons v Bathurst Panthers

Wellington Cowboys v Dubbo CYMS

Forbes Magpies v Nyngan Tigers

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