Jack Littlejohn's got his pencil out and he's underlining names. The first one? Parkes. The list then reads as follows: Dubbo Macquarie, the Fishies and Nyngan. Looks as though Littlejohn has Group 11's best in his cross-hairs. "Definitely, those games (we want to) get the wins over them," the returning Mudgee Dragons captain-coach said. Group rivalry is set to ignite the new Peter McDonald Premiership, with one of Group 10's most successful clubs already eyeing off its crossover clashes with western rivals. The initial draw for the new competition pitted the Dragons against the Spacemen and Raiders in rounds one and two respectively, before games against Dubbo CYMS and then the Tigers later in the year. READ ALSO: - Staying stars set to converge on Dawson Park for Country Classic riches - Porter 'can't wait' to chase NRL dream after finishing junior career with prestigious prize - Woodbridge Cup and Mid West merger on the table as three conference system floated And they're games, Littlejohn says, he's certain to have the Mudgee boys primed for. "(In Group 10) you play the same teams over and over and you get to know the teams pretty well," he added. "But we never really get to see the Group 11 teams play, it's a fair way to go and watch, so it'll be interesting. "It's not a full merger. There's crossover games, but we want to win those. The most important thing is we get a few more games in too, which will be good." Littlejohn was interviewed by Junee legend Laurie Daley on the morning of the Mudgee Cup on Friday, one of the biggest days of sport in the region. On Daley's Big Sports Breakfast program, alongside Gerard Middleton and former Bulldogs and Tigers half Josh Reynolds, Littlejohn said Mudgee was in a good position to challenge for the inaugural Western premiership. The red and whites will be without Harry Siejka for 2022 after the former NRL half linked with Cessnock to coach but Littlejohn says the club is in a strong position, numbers-wise. "This year, for us, it's more about local blokes. We have a lot of local talent, it's just a shame a few of them go play elsewhere. There's a few at Dunedoo, if we can get them back it'd be great. If we get those in we'd be hard to stop," he said. This looming season will be Littlejohn's fourth at Mudgee, with his first year at the club, the 2019 season, still haunting the ex-Wests Tigers halfback. That year, Mudgee lost the grand final 9-8 in extra-time to Panthers and since then - with 2020 completely cancelled and 2021's finals series abandoned, both due to COVID - Littlejohn says he's starting to feel the pressure to guide the club to its first top grade crown since 2016. "I'm putting that pressure on myself," he says. "There's a lot of old boys that love their rugby league, I really want to win for them." Ex-president Sebastian Flack said the new competition is a welcome one for Mudgee rugby league. "We've tried to go to Group 11 a couple of times to freshen it up," Flack, now the club's under 18s coach, said. "Volunteers are hard to get and we wanted a change, and then they did this. It's good. Not all clubs are on board; but old people, old ways. We're keen and we think it'll boost footy in the region."
IN THE HUNT: Josh Reynolds, Gerard Middleton, Jack Littlejohn, Jared Robinson, Sebastian Flack and Laurie Daley. Photo: BIG SPORTS BREAKFAST
Jack Littlejohn's got his pencil out and he's underlining names.
The first one? Parkes. The list then reads as follows: Dubbo Macquarie, the Fishies and Nyngan.
Looks as though Littlejohn has Group 11's best in his cross-hairs.
"Definitely, those games (we want to) get the wins over them," the returning Mudgee Dragons captain-coach said.
Group rivalry is set to ignite the new Peter McDonald Premiership, with one of Group 10's most successful clubs already eyeing off its crossover clashes with western rivals.
The initial draw for the new competition pitted the Dragons against the Spacemen and Raiders in rounds one and two respectively, before games against Dubbo CYMS and then the Tigers later in the year.
And they're games, Littlejohn says, he's certain to have the Mudgee boys primed for.
"(In Group 10) you play the same teams over and over and you get to know the teams pretty well," he added.
"But we never really get to see the Group 11 teams play, it's a fair way to go and watch, so it'll be interesting.
"It's not a full merger. There's crossover games, but we want to win those. The most important thing is we get a few more games in too, which will be good."
Littlejohn was interviewed by Junee legend Laurie Daley on the morning of the Mudgee Cup on Friday, one of the biggest days of sport in the region.
On Daley's Big Sports Breakfast program, alongside Gerard Middleton and former Bulldogs and Tigers half Josh Reynolds, Littlejohn said Mudgee was in a good position to challenge for the inaugural Western premiership.
We have a lot of local talent ... if we get those in we'd be hard to stop
Jack Littlejohn
The red and whites will be without Harry Siejka for 2022 after the former NRL half linked with Cessnock to coach but Littlejohn says the club is in a strong position, numbers-wise.
"This year, for us, it's more about local blokes. We have a lot of local talent, it's just a shame a few of them go play elsewhere. There's a few at Dunedoo, if we can get them back it'd be great. If we get those in we'd be hard to stop," he said.
This looming season will be Littlejohn's fourth at Mudgee, with his first year at the club, the 2019 season, still haunting the ex-Wests Tigers halfback.
That year, Mudgee lost the grand final 9-8 in extra-time to Panthers and since then - with 2020 completely cancelled and 2021's finals series abandoned, both due to COVID - Littlejohn says he's starting to feel the pressure to guide the club to its first top grade crown since 2016.
"I'm putting that pressure on myself," he says.
"There's a lot of old boys that love their rugby league, I really want to win for them."
Ex-president Sebastian Flack said the new competition is a welcome one for Mudgee rugby league.
"Volunteers are hard to get and we wanted a change, and then they did this. It's good. Not all clubs are on board; but old people, old ways. We're keen and we think it'll boost footy in the region."
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