Country Rugby League (CRL) chairman Jock Colley is confident the City-Country Origin concept will be retained post-2012 after positive discussions at the organisation's annual general meeting.

Parkes-based Colley was re-elected to the top job unopposed, with a number of western region officials appointed to various boards involved with the running of the code.

Among them was Group 11 secretary Bob Walsh being included on the junior league council and constitution committee, and president Ross McDermott maintaining his post on the qualifications and permits committee.

With the introduction of rugby league's new independent commission expected early next month, there had been talk the City-Country concept could be a victim of the new regime.

But Colley, pictured right, admitted he is confident the idea will be around for many years to come.

"Even though there is nothing in writing as yet we are all pretty positive about the future of City-Country," Colley said.

"Next year at Mudgee [April 22] will be a big litmus test for the game. We have a new venue in a central location on a stand-alone weekend so we would like to think we will sell the ground out.

"For some [rural] people the City-Country game is the only chance they get to see these top NRL players in action live so we are keen to keep it and keen for it to be around for a long time."

Also on the agenda at the meeting were reports into the state of the game in country NSW which revealed an increase in senior player numbers but a small decrease in junior playing stocks.

"There is a lot of talk about doom and gloom in bush football but I think our figures show that isn't the case," Colley said.

"Sure there is a slight downturn in the juniors but our development officers assure us that they are working on that but our senior numbers are positive.

"We have Oberon returning to Group 10 next season and Nowra is also going to field a team for the first time in a couple of years which shows we are going in the right direction."