2018 Group 10 Rugby League season

Last updated
2018 Group 10 Rugby League
Teams9
Premiers Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers (3rd title)
Minor premiers Western Suburbs colours.svg Cowra Magpies
Matches played74
Points scored3830

The 2018 Group 10 Rugby League season was the 72nd season of premier competition of rugby league in the Central West area of New South Wales. It was run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. It was the sixth consecutive season to feature nine teams, after the re-admittance of the Blayney Bears in 2013. [1]

Contents

Orange CYMS entered the season as defending champions, after defeating Oberon Tigers 23–22 in the 2017 premier league decider. CYMS rallied from 22–8 down with 20 minutes remaining to claim the one-point victory. [2] On the back of off-season recruits which included former South Sydney, Manly and Newcastle forward Josh Starling, Oberon Tigers were labelled the early premiership favourites. [3]

Premier League season summary

Eighteen rounds were contested from April until August, resulting in the top of Cowra Magpies, Orange Hawks, Orange CYMS, Bathurst Panthers and Oberon Tigers. Cowra Magpies won their first minor premiership since 1996.

St Pat's played its first home game at the new Jack Arrow Sporting Complex on April 22, [4] a 16–10 victory over Oberon Tigers. [5] St Pat's originally left its spiritual home of Jack Arrow Oval, at the now Paddy's Hotel, at the end of the 2012 season. The club had been playing its home games at the Bathurst Sports Ground, next door to city rivals Panthers at Carrington Park.

Round 10 was cancelled after snow closed roads to Oberon on June 17. [6] Roads between Oberon and Bathurst were closed on the day, meaning Cowra Magpies were unable to travel to Oberon for their match against the Tigers. Games could have been played in Mudgee, Orange and Bathurst but Group 10 officials were hesitant to find itself in a situation where some games could have been played and some couldn't. Rescheduled mid-week games were not possible, due to being a logistical nightmare. All matches were scrapped and one point was awarded each. Because Orange CYMS had bye that weekend, a decision was made to scrap bye points in the second half of the season, so Orange CYMS wouldn't receive an unfair advantage.

After 16 rounds, Orange Hawks looked likely to claim a first minor premiership since 2013 but after losing to Oberon Tigers 22–20 at Wade Park on August 5, [7] Cowra Magpies jumped into first place after a massive 58–14 win over Mudgee Dragons at Sid Kallas Oval on the same day. [8] Magpies won their final match of the home and away season, 34–16 against Lithgow Workies, to seal their first minor premiership since 1996. [9]

Cowra captain Josh Rainbow was named the Group 10 player of the year on August 31, becoming just the fourth Cowra player to do so, the most recent Magpies player Dean Corrigan winning in 2009. [10] Rainbow earned 17 votes, to finish ahead of Orange Hawks captain-coach Willie Heta with 14 and 2016 winner Jeremy Gordon with 11, Rainbow's fellow teammate who won the award with Bathurst Panthers. [11]

Teams

ClubHome groundCoachCaptainPresident
Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers Carrington Park Doug HewittDoug HewittDennis Comerford
Canterbury colours.svg Bathurst St Patrick's Jack Arrow Sporting ComplexGreg BehanGreg BehanDavid Chapman
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Blayney BearsKing George OvalTim MortimerTim Mortimer
Western Suburbs colours.svg Cowra MagpiesSid Kallis OvalSteve SuttonJosh RainbowMarc McLeish
Wests Tigers colours.svg Lithgow Workmen's ClubTony Luchetti ShowgroundGraeme OsborneCorey Osborne
St. George colours.svg Mudgee Dragons Glen Willow Ben GregoryJared Robinson
Wellington colours.svg Oberon Tigers Oberon Sports Ground Luke Braninghan Luke Braninghan Ian Christie-Johnston
Ipswich Colours.svg Orange CYMS Wade Park Mick Sullivan Mick Sullivan
New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks Wade Park Willie HetaWillie Heta

Ladder [12]

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification or relegation
1Cowra Magpies161213489276+21325Qualified for the Group 10 Rugby League finals
2Orange Hawks161123502330+17224
3Orange CYMS161114524330+19423
4 Bathurst Panthers 161024400286+11422
5 Oberon Tigers 16916384282+10219
6 Bathurst St Patrick's 16529400409−912
7Mudgee Dragons164111364524−1609
8Lithgow Workmen's Club162113280492−2125
9Blayney Bears162113242620−3785
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) point difference; 3) number of points scored.

Play-off bracket

The Group 10 Rugby League finals use the top five McIntyre system:

Qualifying/Elimination FinalMajor/Minor Semi-finalPreliminary FinalGrand Final
1 Western Suburbs colours.svg Cowra Magpies26 Western Suburbs colours.svg Cowra Magpies10
New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks24 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers12
2 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks22 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks22
3 Ipswich Colours.svg Orange CYMS12 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers38
Ipswich Colours.svg Orange CYMS20
Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers21
4 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers22
5 Wellington colours.svg Oberon Tigers16

Finals

HomeScoreAwayMatch Information
Date and TimeVenueReferee
Qualifying Finals
Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers22-16 Wellington colours.svg Oberon Tigers18 August 2018, 6:15pmCarrington ParkTBA
New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks22-12 Ipswich Colours.svg Orange CYMS19 August 2018, 2:15pmWade ParkTBA
Semi-finals
Ipswich Colours.svg Orange CYMS20-21 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers25 August 2018Wade Park
Western Suburbs colours.svg Cowra Magpies26-24 New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks26 August 2018Sid Kallas OvalTBA
Preliminary Final
New South Wales colours.svg Orange Hawks22-38 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers2 September 2018Wade Park
Grand Final
Western Suburbs colours.svg Cowra Magpies10-12 Penrith Panthers square flag icon with 2017 colours.svg Bathurst Panthers9 September 2018Sid Kallas Oval

Grand Final

Cowra MagpiesPositionBathurst Panthers
Jeremy Gordon FB Josh Rivett
Caley Mok WG Andrew Mendes
Bradyn Cassidy CE Blake Lawson
Lee McClintock CE Jye Barrow
Zachary Browne WG Kade Barrow
Warren Williams FE Willie Wright
Joseph Bugg HB Doug Hewitt (c)
Zachary Starr PR Brent Seager
Benjamin John HK Nick Loader
Blake Tidswell PR Dane Thorogood
Jay McClintock SR Blake Seager
Josh Rainbow (c) SR Jack Siejka
Ron Lawrence LK Blake Hewitt
Ben GunnBenchJed Betts
William IngramBenchKara Rotarangi
Mitchell BrowneBenchLuke Bain
John GrantBenchTrent Hotham
Josh RainbowCoachDoug Hewitt

Cowra Magpies hosted its first grand final since 2014, where they lost 34–12 to Bathurst St Pat's. The match will also be Bathurst Panthers first Group 10 premier league grand final since 2007, when they defeated Lithgow Workies 24–4 at Carrington Park.

Cowra hooker and former St Pat's hooker Benji John opened the scoring from dummy-half and Lee McClintock finished off a sweeping play from left to right to give the hosts a 10–0 lead inside the opening 13 minutes.

It became an arm wrestle and Panthers hung in, determined not to concede again. It was in the 57th when the deadlock was broken with Panthers’ lock Blake Hewitt crashing over and Willie Wright converted to reduce the deficit to 10–6.

With minutes remaining, still trailing 10–6, Panthers winger Andrew Mendes scored the equaliser and Wright’s opportunity arose. Having missed his aunty’s wedding to play the grand final, Wright made sure he slotted it, and from his boot, he knew it was going over.

To make it even sweeter, the successful conversion was struck directly in front of the Panthers faithful on the eastern side of the ground. The victory marked Panthers’ first Group 10 premier league title since 2007.

Hewitt lifted the Western Challenge Cup soon after and Panthers powerhouse Brent Seager was presented the Dave Scott Medal for player of the match.

Bathurst Panthers 12 (Blake Hewitt, Andrew Mendes tries; Willie Wright 2 conversions)

Cowra Magpies 10 (Benji John, Lee McClintock tries; Caley Mok conversion)


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References

  1. ↑ "Anlezark's Bears are full of promise for Group 10 return" in Blayney Chronicle, March 21, 2013
  2. ↑ "Cometh the hour: Sullivan's last-gasp field goal seals CYMS' miracle grand final comeback" in Central Western Daily, September 10, 2017
  3. ↑ "Starling signs with Oberon, Tigers set to start 2018 as raging-hot favourites" in Central Western Daily, October 2, 2017
  4. ↑ "St Pat's to play first game at new ground on Hereford Street" in Western Advocate, April 18, 2018
  5. ↑ "St Pat's triumph on new turf with comeback against Oberon Tigers" in Western Advocate, April 22, 2018
  6. ↑ "Group 10 cancels round 10 after snow covers Oberon" in Western Advocate, June 17, 2018
  7. ↑ "Hawks' minor premiership dream looks in tatters after heartbreaking loss to Oberon" in Central Western Daily, August 5, 2018
  8. ↑ "Magpies move to the top" in Cowra Guardian, August 5, 2018
  9. ↑ "Central West scoreboard | Every code, every grade, every results | August 11–12" in Lithgow Mercury, August 13, 2018
  10. ↑ "Rainbow becomes just fourth Magpie to win Group 10's top honour" in Cowra Guardian, September 3, 2018
  11. ↑ "'Patchy' start but Cowra's showing good signs: Sutton" in Western Advocate, April 26, 2018
  12. ↑ 2018 Tooheys Group 10 First Grade
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