Everything you need to know about the 2023 Western Premier League draw

Apex Oval, Dubbo's premier sporting facility, will host a triple-header in the opening round of the season, followed by another on May 27, before the city hosts a third and final one at Victoria Park on July 15.

Simultaneous kick-offs will also feature in the final round (August 12) for the first time, to add to the drama and excitement as teams battle it out for spots in the play-offs.

However, the WPL will drop down to just eight teams for 2023, after the latest withdrawal, this time being Lithgow Workmen's.

WPL competition manager Peter Mitchell said the loss of three teams in the off-season is not a concern for the competition's future.

"Numbers were Lithgow's problem, getting blokes to commit with their work commitments," he said.

"We're not really concerned with the drop-off in teams. That's just the way it's gone.

"It's always disappointing. Unfortunately with work and all those sort of things, there's not much we can do about it."

Workies' withdrawal adds to the losses of Mudgee Wolves and Orange CYMS, with the Lithgow club having featured in every year since the competition was resurrected in 2020, the same year they made the finals.

In the opening round of the season, Orana Spurs will host Orange Waratahs in the early game at 3pm, followed by Macquarie United and Bathurst '75 clash at 5pm, before Dubbo Bulls and Panorama lock horns in the final match of the triple-header at 7pm.

READ ALSO:

Parkes Cobras will host Barnstoneworth United at Woodward Oval at 4pm, in the only round one match that will not be played in Dubbo.

The first Dubbo derby won't be until round three, when Bulls meet Orana Spurs on April 29.

Mitchell also confirmed that a number of weekends will be left free, for potential postponed fixtures.

"They'll be there for any unforeseen circumstances where we need to defer a game because of wet weather or something like that," he said.

An exciting new change for this season will see the final round of fixtures kick-off simultaneously, similar to how the final round of the English Premier League is played out.

"I think that's just so everyone kicks off at the same time, so if things are tight ... it'll add to the drama of the final day," he said.

With the removal of three teams in the off-season, that means there'll be an even amount of teams for the first time since the competition was revived in 2020, meaning there'll be no need for byes.

"I think byes were a bit of a bugbear, but we haven't got them now, so we're right," Mitchell said.

Five teams will qualify for the play-offs, using the system that is officially referred to as the McIntyre final five system.

In the first week of the finals, the teams that finished fourth and fifth will play-off in the elimination final, while second and third play in the qualifying final.

In week two, the minor premiers will face the winners of the qualifying final (major semi-final), while the losers of the qualifying final will host the winners of the elimination final (minor semi-final).

The winners of the major semi-final will progress directly to the grand final, with the losers to face the winner of the minor semi-final in the preliminary final, with the winner to qualify for the grand final.

Waratahs are the reigning WPL champions, having defeated Panorama 2-1 in a thrilling grand final.

The match featured three red cards, with Waratahs scoring the winner through coach Adam Scimone with three minutes left on the clock and just nine players on the field.

Round 1 - April 15: Orana Spurs v Orange Waratahs (3pm), Parkes Cobras v Barnstoneworth United (4pm), Macquarie United v Bathurst '75 (5pm), Dubbo Bulls v Panorama (7pm)

Round 2 - April 22: Panorama v Parkes Cobras (3pm), Barnstoneworth United v Dubbo Bulls (3.15pm), Bathurst '75 v Orana Spurs (5pm), Orange Waratahs v Macquarie United (5.30pm)

Round 3 - April 29: Parkes Cobras v Orange Waratahs (4pm), Macquarie United v Panorama (4pm), Bathurst '75 v Barnstoneworth United (5pm), Dubbo Bulls v Orana Spurs (6pm)

Round 4 - May 6: Panorama v Barnstoneworth United (3pm), Dubbo Bulls v Parkes Cobras (4pm), Orange Waratahs v Bathurst '75 (5pm), Macquarie United v Orana Spurs (6pm)

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: