Western Premiership (rugby league)

Australian Rugby League competition

Peter McDonald PremiershipSport| Rugby league

|

Inaugural season| 2022
Number of teams| 12
Region| Central West and Orana (NSWRL)
Premiers|  Mudgee Dragons  (2024)
Most titles|  Dubbo CYMS
Forbes Magpies
Mudgee Dragons (1 title)
Website| Play Rugby League.com
Related competition| Group 10 Rugby League
Group 11 Rugby League

The Western Premiership (also known as the Peter McDonald Premiership due to the name of its First Grade competition) is a New South Wales, Australia rugby league competition. The competition commenced in 2022 and incorporates the former Group 10 and Group 11 competitions.[1][2]

The competition is named in honour of the late Peter 'Ace' McDonald, a long-time Cowra Magpies, Group 10, Western Division and Country Rugby League administrator, and is played in four grades, these being First-Grade, Reserve-Grade, Under 18s and Ladies League Tag.[3]

## History

[edit]

The competition is the result of a merger between the historic Group 10 and Group 11 Rugby League competitions.

The competition was founded in 2022 after a series of strategic meetings with Group 10 and 11 clubs conducted by the NSWRL.

The competition initially only had First Grade and Under 18s, with respective reserves and women's tag competitions remaining under the control of Group 10 and Group 11. However, the competition will feature all four grades from 2023, as clubs wanted a full consistent matchday.

Initially, the competition also had two conferences, and implemented a first past the post system to award the historic Group 10 and 11 titles to the clubs who finished first on the ladder the respective historic competitions, however the conference system was scrapped in favour of a single league system from 2024 onwards.

Initially, the First Grade premiers progressed to the two week state NSWRL Presidents Cup finals against the Northern (Newcastle), Southern (Illawarra) and Ron Massey Cup (Sydney) conferences to crown the state semi-professional club champions, however this was scrapped after the 2023 season.[4]

## Clubs

[edit]

12 clubs compete in the Peter McDonald Premiership. All clubs field all grades.

### Current clubs

[edit]

Main articles: Group 10 Rugby League and Group 11 Rugby League

Club  | Moniker  | Group  | Home ground  | Premierships  | Premiership Years

|
|
|
|
|

First Grade
Bathurst | Panthers | Group 10 | Carrington Park, Bathurst  | 0  | None
Bathurst St Patrick's | St Pat's | Group 10 | Jack Arrow Sporting Complex, Bathurst  | 0  | None
Dubbo | CYMS | Group 11 | Apex Oval, Dubbo  | 1  | 2023
Dubbo Macquarie | Raiders | Group 11 | Apex Oval, Dubbo  | 0  | None
Forbes | Magpies | Group 11 | Spooner Park, Forbes  | 1  | 2022
Lithgow Workmen's Club | Wolves | Group 10 | Tony Luchetti Showground, Lithgow  | 0  | None
Mudgee | Dragons | Group 10 | Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee  | 1  | 2024
Nyngan | Tigers | Group 11 | Larkin Oval, Nyngan  | 0  | None
Orange CYMS | CYMS | Group 10 | Wade Park, Orange  | 0  | None
Orange | Hawks | Group 10 | Wade Park, Orange  | 0  | None
Parkes | Spacemen | Group 11 | Pioneer Oval, Parkes  | 0  | None
Wellington | Cowboys | Group 11 | Kennard Park, Wellington  | 0  | None

### Former clubs

[edit]

Town  | Team  | Home ground  | Conference  | Premierships  | Premiership Years

|
|
|
|
|

Blayney  | Bears | King George Oval  | Group 10 | 0  | None
Cowra  | Magpies | Sid Kallas Oval  | Group 10 | 0  | None

## Grand Finals

[edit]

### Peter McDonald Premiership (First Grade)

[edit]

Year  | Premiers  | Score  | Runner-Up  | Venue  | Scott Weir Medal  | Minor Premiers

|
|
|
|
|
|

2022  |  Forbes  | 28-16  |  Dubbo CYMS  | Apex Oval, Dubbo  | Mitch Andrews (Forbes)  |  Mudgee (Group 10) /

Dubbo CYMS (Group 11)

2023[5] |  Dubbo CYMS  | 25-12  |  Mudgee  | Apex Oval, Dubbo  | Jarryn Powyer (CYMS)  |  Mudgee (Group 10) /

Dubbo CYMS (Group 11)

2024[6] |  Mudgee  | 46-16  |  Parkes  | Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee  | Clay Priest (Mudgee)  |  Mudgee

### Western Premiership - Reserve Grade

[edit]

Year  | Premiers  | Score  | Runner-Up  | Venue  | Minor Premiers

|
|
|
|
|

2022  |  Bathurst Panthers  | 29-24  |  Dubbo CYMS  | Apex Oval, Dubbo  |  Bathurst Panthers (Group 10) /

Dubbo CYMS (Group 11)

2023  |  Dubbo CYMS  | 32-22  |  Cowra  | Apex Oval, Dubbo  |  Cowra (Group 10) /

Dubbo CYMS (Group 11)

2024  |  Dubbo CYMS  | 18-10  |  Mudgee  | Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee  |  Dubbo CYMS

### Western Premiership - League Tag

[edit]

Year  | Premiers  | Score  | Runner-Up  | Venue  | Minor Premiers

|
|
|
|
|

2022  |  Bathurst St Patrick's  | 28-0  |  Dubbo CYMS  | Apex Oval, Dubbo  |  Bathurst St Patrick's (Group 10) /

Dubbo CYMS (Group 11)

2023  |  Bathurst St Patrick's  | 32-8  |  Dubbo Macquarie  | Apex Oval, Dubbo  |  Bathurst St Patrick's (Group 10) /

Dubbo CYMS (Group 11)

2024  |  Dubbo Macquarie  | 18-6  |  Bathurst St Patrick's  | Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee  |  Dubbo Macqurarie

### Tom Nelson Under 18s Premiership

[edit]

Year  | Premiers  | Score  | Runner-Up  | Venue  | Minor Premiers

|
|
|
|
|

2022  |  Nyngan  | 26-12  |  Bathurst St Patrick's  | Apex Oval, Dubbo  |
2023  |  Orange Hawks  | 42-14  |  Lithgow  | Apex Oval, Dubbo  |  Orange Hawks (Group 10) /

Dubbo CYMS

2024  |  Orange Hawks  | 22-8  |  Dubbo CYMS  | Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee  |  Orange Hawks

## Western Women's Rugby League

[edit]

The Western Womens Rugby League (WWRL) is a post-season women's tackle competition contested in the Central West. It features teams from the Peter McDonald Premiership, and their affiliates (in the case of Orange and Panorama), as well as representative sides from other Western Division competitions such as the Castlereagh League and Woodbridge Cup.[7]

### Clubs

[edit]

Town  | Team  | Home ground  | Titles  | Premiership Years

|
|
|
|

Castlereagh | Cougars | Coonamble Sports Ground  |  |
Lachlan District  | Lachlan | Pioneer Oval, Parkes  |  |
Mudgee | Dragons | Glen Willow Sports Stadium  |  |
Orange | Vipers | Pride Park, Waratah Sports Ground  |  |
Panorama | Platypi | Jack Arrow Sporting Complex  | 3  | 2021, 2022, 2023
Wiradjuri | Goannas | Kennard Park, Wellington  |  |
Woodbridge | Cup | Henry Lawson Oval, Grenfell  |  |

## PMP Graduates

[edit]

Nyghan

* Fletcher Hunt (2024- Newcastle Knights)

## Other Notabale players

[edit]

Bathurst Panther

* Grant Garvey (2016 Sydney Roosters)

Bathurst St Pat's

Dubbo CYMS

Dubbo Macquarie

* Justin Carney (2008-10 Canberra Raiders) (2011-12 Sydney Roosters)

Forbes

* Pio Seci (2022 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)

Lithgow

* Kadiyae Ioka (2023 Cook Islands)

Mudgee

* Clay Priest (2016-17 Canberra Raiders) (2018Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
* Jack Littlejohn (2014 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles) (2016-17 Wests Tigers)
* Zac Saddler (2021 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
* Anthony Cherrington (2008-12 Sydney Roosters) (2017 South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Nyghan

* Vincent Leuluai (2016 Sydney Roosters) (2017Melbourne Storm)
* Constantine Mika (2009-11 Newcastle Knights)

Orange CYMS

* Jack Buchanan (2013-16 Wests Tigers)
* Daniel Mortimer (2009-11 Parramatta Eels) (2012-14Sydney Roosters) (2014-16 Gold Coast Titans) (2017Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)

Orange Hawks

Parkes Spacemen

* Jack Buchanan (2013-16 Wests Tigers)
* Tikiko Noke (2015 Fiji)

Wellington

* Blake Ferguson (2009-10 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks) (2011-13 Canberra Raiders) (2015-18 Sydney Roosters) (2019-21 Parramatta Eels)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Western Conference system to benefit future generations". New South Wales Rugby League. 2021-03-29. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
2. ^ Mobbs, Jay-Anna (2 Apr 2022). "Mudgee Dragons defeat Dubbo's Macquarie Raiders in Peter McDonald Premiership opener". Daily Liberal. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
3. ^ McGrath, Nick (5 Apr 2022). "Peter McDonald's family says 'Ace' would be honoured by new Western Rams title race". Central Western Daily. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
4. ^ "NSWRL announces Western Premiership 2022 structure". New South Wales Rugby League. 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
5. ^ Smith, Tallon (2023-09-22). "Grand Final Watch: Dubbo CYMS take Peter McDonald Premiership title, plus a recap of Groups 2, 3 & 7, GTS and the NHRL". Battlers For Bush Footy. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
6. ^ Smith, Tallon (2024-09-12). "Dragons down Spacemen as Mudgee claim Peter McDonald Premiership crown". Battlers For Bush Footy. Retrieved 2025-02-26.
7. ^ "Association: Western Womens Rugby League". www.playrugbyleague.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.

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Federation|

* Country Rugby League (former)
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Representative teams|

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CRL divisions|

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Group 7 teams|

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Other cups|

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Former competitions|

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Related articles|

* List of CRL clubs
* Maher Cup

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