Group 10 is a rugby league competition in the Central West area of New South Wales, under the auspices of the New South Wales Rugby League. It had been under the control of Country Rugby League but that changed after the NSWRL agreed to a new constitution and the CRL voted to wind up its affairs immediately. The decisions was made on 19 October 2019 and the merger means that the aim of a unified administration of the sport in NSW was achieved over a year ahead of time. Ahead of the 2022 season, the Group 10 and Group 11 competitions merged to form the Western Premiership.

Origin and formation

At the end of the 1946 representative campaign, it was Bathurst that was crowned Western Challenge Cup premiers after finishing ahead of Lithgow, Orange and Oberon in the four-team group. The team's 7–0 win against Oberon in the final match of the round-robin competition in August at the Bathurst Sportsground saw the team finish the campaign undefeated. Group 10 would meet two months later but Group 10 secretary Harley Brazil put forward a radical proposal, which alter the future of rugby league in the Central West region. Brazil put forward a "scheme" for an inter-town competition, with a goal to kick off in 1947. Brazil's idea was to see the leading eight teams in the Group (Bathurst Railway, Bathurst Waratahs, Lithgow Small Arms Factory, Lithgow Western Suburbs, Oberon, Orange Our Boys, Orange Waratahs and Portland) participate in the competition. When the districts met in February, not everyone accepted Brazil's proposal, which become referred to as the 'Brazil plan' by the local press. Representatives from Bathurst, Orange, Lithgow, Mudgee, Oberon, Blayney and Portland would debate over three proposals for several hours. The three proposals mentioned in the Lithgow Mercury on 26 February 1947 included: Ultimately, it was the 'Brazil plan' that was adopted by 10 votes to eight but it was quickly followed by opposition from Orange and Bathurst. Issues continued and by Group 10's annual general meeting on 16 March, tensions reached boiling point between Orange and Bathurst and the other leagues. According to the Lithgow Mercury, Bathurst and Orange were granted permission to conduct their own competitions, independent of the new inter-town club tournament. Brazil's plan for a new inter-town club competition was thrown into turmoil, with only four teams nominating, well below the secretary's eight-team dream. At the Group's meeting on 7 April, only Lithgow Small Arms Factory, Lithgow Western Suburbs, Oberon Tigers and Portland Colts had put their hands up for the new competition. The first ever games in Group 10 had been locked in for Sunday, 13 April. Wests would play Oberon in Lithgow, while Portland would host Factory. Both games would kick-off at 3.15pm, with curtain-raisers the local Lithgow first grade competition games. Match reports in the Lithgow Mercury indicate Wests overcame the Tigers 17–3. C. Hallam scored the first try for Wests, which may have been the first ever try scored in the competition. In the other match, Portland downed Factory 14–7. Factory won the inaugural premiership by defeating Portland 17–7 in the grand final.

Overview

The current season format consists of fourteen rounds, with each team playing each other twice. The top five teams then play-off to the McIntyre final five system, culminating in the grand final which is held at the home ground of the major semi-final winner. Former NRL players to play in Group 10 in recent times include Luke Branighan (Oberon and Bathurst St Patrick's) and Josh Starling (Oberon and Bathurst Panthers), with the latter signing on for the Panthers ahead of the 2020 season. Former Manly forward George Rose played one season for Oberon in 2016. NSW legend Mark O'Meley played a one-off game for St Pat's in 2016. Mick Sullivan has been one of the most influential ex-NRL players in recent times, leading Orange CYMS to five premierships during his nine-season stint between 2010 and 2018, a record haul for a captain-coach in the competition's history.

Current clubs and location

From 2023, all four grades of Group 10 Clubs play in the Peter McDonald Premiership alongside Group 11 Rugby League clubs. Although a Group 10 Premier is still crowned in all grades, with this being the best team in the Group 10 Pool of the Peter McDonald Premiership. In 2022, Group 10 still officially fielded Reserve and women's League Tag competitions while the First Grade and Under 18s competitions were run as the Peter McDonald Premiership.

Junior Clubs

Previous Clubs

Past premiers

Group 10 (1947-2021)

Peter McDonald Premiership Premiers (2022-present)

Lower grades

First Division/Reserve Grade

• 1952 Wallerawang Warriors • 1953 • 1954 Bathurst Charlestons • 1955 Cowra Magpies • 1956 Orange CYMS • 1957 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Lithgow Small Arms Factory • 1958 Orange Emmco • 1959 Orange Emmco • 1960 Orange Emmco • 1961 Orange CYMS • 1962 Oberon Tigers • 1963 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 1964 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 1965 Orange CYMS • 1966 Oberon Tigers • 1967 Orange CYMS • 1968 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 1969 Orange Ex-Services • 1970 Bathurst Railway • 1971 Bathurst Railway • 1972 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 1973 Orange Ex-Services • 1974 Orange Ex-Services • 1975 Oberon Tigers • 1976 Oberon Tigers • 1977 Orange Ex-Services • 1978 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Blayney Bears • 1979 Cowra Magpies • 1980 Bathurst Charlestons • 1981 Bathurst Railway • 1982 Mudgee Dragons • 1983 Cowra Magpies • 1984 Bathurst Charlestons • 1985 New South Wales colours.svg Orange United • 1986 Mudgee Dragons • 1987 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Blayney Bears • 1988 Bathurst St Patrick's • 1989 Bathurst St Patrick's • 1990 Bathurst Penguins • 1991 New South Wales colours.svg Orange United • 1992 Cowra Magpies • 1993 Bathurst Penguins • 1994 Bathurst Penguins • 1995 Cowra Magpies • 1996 Bathurst Railway • 1997 Orange CYMS • 1998 Cowra Magpies • 1999 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Blayney Bears • 2000 Bathurst Panthers • 2001 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2002 Bathurst Panthers • 2003 Bathurst Panthers • 2004 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2005 Cowra Magpies • 2006 Cowra Magpies • 2007 Bathurst Panthers • 2008 Bathurst Panthers • 2009 Cowra Magpies • 2010 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2011 Bathurst Panthers • 2012 Mudgee Dragons • 2013 Bathurst Panthers • 2014 Orange CYMS • 2015 Orange CYMS • 2016 Bathurst Panthers • 2017 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 2018 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2019 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 2022 Bathurst Panthers • 2023 Cowra Magpies

Under 18s

• 1954 Bathurst St Patrick's • 1955 • 1956 Orange CYMS • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 Cowra Magpies • 1961 Bathurst St Patrick's • 1962 Orange CYMS • 1963 • 1964 Lithgow Shamrocks • 1965 Bathurst St Patrick's • 1966 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 1967 Orange CYMS • 1968 Cowra Magpies • 1969 Bathurst St Patrick's • 1970 Cowra Magpies • 1971 Orange Ex-Services • 1972 Oberon Tigers • 1973 Bathurst Charlestons • 1974 Cowra Magpies • 1975 Cowra Magpies • 1976 Orange CYMS • 1977 Bathurst St Patrick's • 1978 Bathurst Charlestons • 1979 Cowra Magpies • 1980 Orange CYMS • 1981 Orange CYMS • 1982 Bathurst Railway • 1983 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Blayney Bears • 1984 Bathurst Railway • 1985 Cowra Magpies • 1986 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 1987 Mudgee Dragons • 1988 Mudgee Dragons • 1989 Oberon Tigers • 1990 Orange CYMS • 1991 Orange CYMS • 1992 Bathurst Penguins • 1993 Mudgee Dragons • 1994 Cowra Magpies • 1995 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks • 1996 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks • 1997 Orange CYMS • 1998 Mudgee Dragons • 1999 Mudgee Dragons • 2000 Bathurst Panthers • 2001 Bathurst Panthers • 2002 Orange CYMS • 2003 Cowra Magpies • 2004 Cowra Magpies • 2005 Bathurst Panthers • 2006 Cowra Magpies • 2007 Orange CYMS • 2008 Mudgee Dragons • 2009 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2010 Bathurst Panthers • 2011 Bathurst Panthers • 2012 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2013 Cowra Magpies • 2014 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks • 2015 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks • 2016 Lithgow Workmen's Club • 2017 Orange CYMS • 2018 Bathurst Panthers • 2019 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2020-21: No Premiers - COVID-19 pandemic • 2022: Nyngan Tigers (Group 11) • 2023 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks

Women's League Tag

• 2012 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2013 Bathurst Panthers • 2014 Bathurst Panthers • 2015 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2016 Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Blayney Bears • 2017 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2018 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2019 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2022 Bathurst St Patrick's • 2023 Bathurst St Patrick's

Under 18s League Tag

• 2018 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks • 2019 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks