As the announcement to abandon all remaining community based rugby league competition was confirmed last week, the Group 11 board reached the decision to not award premiership this season.
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This year's competition was one of the closest first grade seasons in recent years with Shawn Townsend's CYMS and Justin Toomey-White's Wellington Cowboys equal on points heading into the final round before COVID-19 restrictions forced the original suspension of play.
The Nyngan Tigers, Macquarie Raiders and Parkes Spacemen were the other sides in the finals series and all three of them had the potential to make some noise in the sudden death part of the season.
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Unfortunately, football fans were robbed of what could've been a month of mouth-watering clashes between five star studded sides.
The Group 11 board opted to only award minor premierships to those who were top of the ladder when the season was suspended in August.
Group 11 president Bob Walsh said the decision was not a difficult one to make for the board.
"I think it's a fair decision," he said.
"Our competition was so even that I think anyone in the semi-finals could have won.
"To just give to the minor premiers would've been unfair to the other teams."
The decision means CYMS will remain minor premiers in first grade as well as under 18s and league tag while Macquarie were minor premiers in reserve grade.
This season will also mark the last time Group 11 will be a standalone competition with a combine Western region tournament to be played next season for the first time ever.
Walsh admitted there has already been some planning as to how the 2022 season could launch next year.
"We're starting a new concept next year with the Peter McDonald premiership," he said.
"Which is in conjunction with Group 10.
"The reason we are having a season launch is because we couldn't have a presentation night to finish our season.
"So hopefully we can have a do to launch our season."
No word yet has been released on the individual awards for the season but it is expected they could be given out at the season launch next year.
There is also hope an NRL ambassador will attend the season launch of the historic new competition to strengthen football in the region early next year.
Group 11 and Group 10 sides will be able to nominate teams for next year's combined competition in the next few weeks.
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