The Mudgee Dragons will take on the Parkes Spacemen in the opening-round of the proposed 2022 Peter McDonald Premiership draw, which was released on Wednesday.
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The competition, which is set to start on the weekend of April 2, will feature a Group 10 conference and a Group 11 conference, with sides from the two meeting in a number of crossover rounds during the regular season before locking horns again at finals time.
While there's a number of mouth-watering clashes in store, neither the Narromine Jets or Blayney Bears will be a part of the premier competition.
Narromine is weighing up its options for next season, considering sticking to reserve grade and league tag in Group 11 or making the switch to the Castlereagh League, while Blayney is still not in a position to form a first grade or under 18s team after failing to do so this year.
Despite their absence, NSW Rugby League (NSWRL) chief executive officer David Trodden insists it's a great time to be player or fan in the state's west.
"When there's change there's always a degree of apprehension but there's also a degree of excitement and now the the clubs can see what next season holds for them they'll be looking forward to it with a lot of excitement," he said.
Sustainability was the message when Trodden was among officials announcing a new era for rugby league in the region and a change of structure in March of this year.
There's been plenty of consultation and changes to the initial plan - details were originally set to be announced in June - but ensuring the long-term health of the game has remained the focus.
"The biggest benefit is a sustainable competition," Trodden said.
"There was six teams in Group 10 (in 2021) and if you lose one of them you don't have a sustainable competition. If you don't have a sustainable competition you don't have pathways for juniors to progress into and if you don't have that, they drift away into other sports.
"The benefit of combining them is that you ensure sustainable competition well, well into the future. You ensure pathways for your juniors players, and if you do that you make sure the game will remain strong in western NSW and other sports won't be as attractive because of gaps in our pathway.
"That's our thought and if it is the outcome, which we think it will be, it will be a great outcome for the game.
"There's been talk of Mudgee wanting to go to Group 11 from Group 10 but they don't have to now because they've got the best of both worlds."
Thirteen clubs will be part of the Peter McDonald Premiership.
The Group 11 conference will feature Dubbo sides CYMS and Macquarie, Wellington, Nyngan, Parkes, and Forbes while the Group 10 conference will involve Bathurst pair Panthers and St Pat's, Orange's CYMS and Hawks, Mudgee, Lithgow, and Cowra.
Cowra returns to the fold after failing to field a first grade side in Group 10 this year due to a lack of numbers.
The opening round drawcard game will be a blockbuster clash between Dubbo CYMS and Orange CYMS.
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