Paul Loxley is confident Group 11 can field a side strong enough to beat rivals Group 10, given the competition's best players put their hand up for selection.
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The annual battle between the two Groups will be held on Saturday, May 22 at Lithgow and matches will be played in seniors, league tag, and under 18s.
Loxley and the Group 11 board are determined to field the strongest Group 11 sides they can and suspensions face any player who refuses selection without a valid excuse.
The representative match will be held on the weekend where Group 11 will enjoy a general bye given the NRL match between South Sydney and Penrith will be played in Dubbo on the Sunday.
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Loxley is well aware Group 11-free weekend may mean some players opt to spend time a weekend away with their family, but he's still feeling positive ahead of the grudge matches.
"I reckon we're going to be a real show and will have a good enough side to beat them," Loxley said.
Should any player refuse selection without a valid reason they will face a two-match ban in Group 11.
Clubs across the competition are expected to inform Loxley and selectors by the end of the week of any players who will be unavailable before teams are named on Sunday night.
One of those already confirmed to miss the match is Wellington Cowboys captain-coach Justin Toomey-White.
The former Group 11 captain-coach is unavailable on May 22 and now Alex Ronayne is set to take over the top-job.
Ronayne has captained the Western Rams previously and is currently the captain-coach of the Macquarie Raiders.
He's expected to be assisted by Peter Gibbs, who he also works closely with at Macquarie, while CYMS duo Kaitlyn Mason and Nic Grose will coach the league tag side and Wellington pair Ben Bruce and Trent Forrest will lead the under 14s.
Ronayne could lead a powerhouse squad given the number of big-name additions to the Group 11 competition this year.
Macquarie alone has the likes of Oliver Gordon, Jack Kavanagh, Rob Mafi, and Pone Tongia certain to in contention while Isaac Thompson, Jack Creith, and Nick Greenhalgh have proved valuable additions at Narromine, Parkes, and Forbes respectively.
Nyngan also has a host of new players - headlined by Western Rams duo Jeremy Smith and Guy Thompson - while the Wellington lineup features a number of experienced representative players and many Dubbo CYMS players have the caught the eye as the Fishies have started the season with back-to-back wins.
No matches were played between Group 11 and Group 10 in 2020 after all competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to that, Group 10 had enjoyed the more recent success.
Group 10 has dominated league tag while the past two senior matches have also ended in victory for those in sky blue.
Group 11 won the most recent under 18s match between the two in 2019.
Lithgow will host the 2021 fixtures as it misses out on hosting one of the new magic rounds Group 10 has introduced this season.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
