Group 2 Rugby League

Last updated

Group 2 Rugby League
Sport Rugby league
Instituted1966
Inaugural season1966
Number of teams7 senior clubs (12 junior clubs)
CountryFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Premiers Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters (2024)
Most titles Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters (10 titles)
Website Group 2 Rugby League on facebook

Group 2 is a rugby league competition on the north coast of New South Wales Since 1966, run under the auspices of the Country Rugby League. The Group 2 area runs from Grafton in the north to Macksville in the south. Group 2 teams played for many decades before 1966 when some redistribution, amalgamation or control mechanism presumably changed. Teams on the Nambucca River, namely Bowraville, Macksville and Nambucca Heads played in a southern division against Kempsey, Smithtown, Port Macquarie and Wauchope before 1966.

Contents

Teams

Clubs in 2024 Group 2 Competitions

ClubsCity/TownHome GroundTitlesSeniorsJuniors
Senior Clubs
Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets Coffs Harbour Geoff King Motors Oval1970–71, 1973–74, 1983, 1985, 2013, 2018YesYes
Canterbury colours.svg Grafton Ghosts Grafton Frank McGuren Field2014, 2017, 2019YesYes
Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles Macksville Allan Gillett Oval1979, 1991, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005YesYes
Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters Nambucca Heads Coronation Park1969, 1972, 1975–76, 1986, 1992–93, 2024YesYes
Bullscolours.svg Sawtell Panthers Coffs Harbour (Sawtell)Rex Hardaker Oval1978, 2009, 2011YesYes
St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels Grafton McKittrick Park2015–16, 2022YesYes
Cronulla colours.svg Woolgoolga Seahorses Woolgoolga Woolgoolga Sports Ground2023YesYes
Junior Clubs
Balmain colours.svg Bowraville Tigers Bowraville Bowraville Sports HubNoneNoYes
St. George colours.svg Kempsey Dragons Kempsey Verge Street OvalNoneNo*Yes
Wests Tigers colours.svg Smithtown Tigers Smithtown Smithtown Oval1966, 1968, 1977No‡Yes

*Kempsey Dragons no longer field a senior team, but remain a member of Group 2. Kempsey's modern senior side, the Macleay Valley Mustangs, play in the Group 3 Rugby League Premiership.

‡Smithtown's senior team is Lower Macleay Magpies, in Hastings League.

Former clubs

In Recess

Defunct/Moved

Former clubs
Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Dorrigo Magpies
Canberra colours.svg Coffs Harbour Raiders
Country colours.svg Coffs Jetty Park Beach
St. George colours.svg Central Kempsey
Western Suburbs colours.svg Gimbisi Valley Warriors
Brisbane colours.svg Dunghutti Broncos
North Queensland colours.svg Kempsey Kowboys
St. George colours.svg Kempsey Dragons
North Queensland colours.svg Macleay Valley Mustangs
Port Moresby Vipers Colours.svg Ngaku Warriors (Kempsey)
Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen
New South Wales colours.svg Port City Breakers
Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
Wests Tigers colours.svg Smithtown

First Grade Grand Final Results 1966–present

SeasonGrand Final InformationMinor Premiers
PremiersScoreRunners-upReport
1966 Wests Tigers colours.svg Smithtown Tigers3–2 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles
1967Smithtown Tigers–Coffs Harbour
1968 Wests Tigers colours.svg Smithtown Tigers7–4 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets
1969 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters10–6 St. George colours.svg Central Kempsey
1970 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets– St. George colours.svg Central Kempsey
1971 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets20–9 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
1972 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters15–10 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets
1973 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets20–13 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
1974 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets6–2 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies
1975 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters19–4 St. George colours.svg Kempsey Dragons
1976 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters19–2 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies
1977 Wests Tigers colours.svg Smithtown Tigers– Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
1978 Bullscolours.svg Sawtell Panthers14–13 Wests Tigers colours.svg Smithtown Tigers Bullscolours.svg Sawtell (Clayton Cup)
1979 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles24–7 Wests Tigers colours.svg Smithtown Tigers
1980 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies19–10 Bullscolours.svg Sawtell Panthers
1981 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies44–0 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies
1982 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies21–12 Port Moresby Vipers Colours.svg Ngaku Warriors (Kempsey) Bullscolours.svg Sawtell Panthers
1983 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets28–16 Cronulla colours.svg Woolgoolga Seahorses Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets
1984 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies4–1 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies
1985 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets18–10 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
1986 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters18–16 St. George colours.svg Kempsey Dragons St. George colours.svg Kempsey Dragons
1987 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies23–6 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies
1988 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies50–24 St. George colours.svg Kempsey Dragons Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
1989 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies39–6 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies
1990 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies22–20 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen Wests Tigers colours.svg Smithtown Tigers
1991 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles26–26 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles
1992 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters40–6 Cronulla colours.svg Woolgoolga Seahorses Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
1993 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters26–10 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles
1994 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen30–18 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles
1995 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles24–16 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles
1996 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters36–34 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
1997 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen40–32 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets
1998 Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks26–25 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
1999 Western Suburbs colours.svg Bellingen Magpies20–18 Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
2000 Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks24–12 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
2001 Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks54–26 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
2002 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles39–26 Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
2003 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles30–23 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
2004 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles34–23 Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
2005 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles60–22 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen
2006 Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks22–18 Bullscolours.svg Sawtell Panthers Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
2007 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles32–24 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles
2008 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen19–18 Cronulla colours.svg Woolgoolga Seahorses [1] Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen
2009 Bullscolours.svg Sawtell Panthers21–20 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles Bullscolours.svg Sawtell Panthers
2010 Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks41–16 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets Cronulla colours.svg Port Macquarie Sharks
2011 Bullscolours.svg Sawtell Panthers29–28 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters [2] Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
2012 North Queensland colours.svg Macleay Valley Mustangs36–12 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters [3] [4] Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters
2013 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets42–20 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters [5] Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets
2014 Canterbury colours.svg Grafton Ghosts18–16 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets [6] Canterbury colours.svg Grafton Ghosts
2015 St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels46–18 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets [7] St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels
2016 St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels26–12 Canterbury colours.svg Grafton Ghosts [8] St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels
2017 Canterbury colours.svg Grafton Ghosts32–12 St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels [9] Canterbury colours.svg Grafton Ghosts
2018 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets30–14 Faxcolours.svg Macksville Sea Eagles [10] [11] Canterbury colours.svg Grafton Ghosts
2019 Canterbury colours.svg Grafton Ghosts68–6 Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets Catalanscolours.svg Coffs Harbour Comets
2020 & 2021 seasons cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022 St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels36–8 Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen Australian colours.svg Orara Valley Axemen
2023 Cronulla colours.svg Woolgoolga Seahorses26–10 St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels [12] St. George colours.svg South Grafton Rebels
2024 Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters31–12 Cronulla colours.svg Woolgoolga Seahorses [13] Eastern Suburbs colours.svg Nambucca Heads Roosters

Premiership Tally

ClubPremierships
Nambucca Heads Roosters10
Bellingen Magpies9
Macksville Sea Eagles8
Coffs Harbour Comets8
Port Macquarie Sharks5
Smithtown Tigers4
Sawtell Panthers3
Orara Valley Axemen3
Grafton Ghosts 3
South Grafton Rebels3
Woolgoolga Seahorses1
Macleay Valley Mustangs 1

Players from Group 2 to play NRL

PlayerClub
Greg Inglis Bowraville Tigers JRL
Albert Kelly Smithtown Tigers JRL
Kevin Gordon Sawtell Panthers JRL
Aiden Tolman Smithtown Tigers JRL
Wayne Bartrim Macleay Valley Mustangs
Matt Donovan Macksville Sea Eagles
Paul Davis Port Macquarie, Macksville and Dunghutti
Clint Greenshields Sawtell Panthers JRL
Troy Robinson Sawtell Panthers JRL
Mitchell Thomson Sawtell Panthers JRL

Notable players

Bellingen

Coffs Harbour Comets

Grafton Ghosts

Macksville Sea Eagles

Orara Valley Axemen

Sawtell Panthers

South Grafton Rebels

Woolgoolga Seahorses

Bowraville Tigers

Kempsey Dragons

Nambucca Heads Roosters

Smithtown Tigers

See also

References

  1. ↑ Greenshields, Brad (9 September 2008). "Axemen take out grand final". The Coffs Coast Advocate. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  2. ↑ White, Greg (19 September 2011). "Sawtell Group 2 Premiers". The Coffs Coast Advocate. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  3. ↑ Klein, Thom (11 September 2012). "Macleay Valley Mustangs end a half-century's wait in 80 magical minutes". Macleay Argus. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Highlights From Group Two Rugby League Grand Final – Macleay Valley Mustangs V Nambucca Roosters". NBN TV. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2018– via YouTube.
  5. ↑ White, Greg (18 August 2013). "Group 2 grand final: " ... glory, glory to Coffs Harbour..."". The Coffs Coast Advocate. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  6. ↑ McInerney, Matthew (25 August 2014). "Ghosts glory with extra time penalty". The Daily Examiner. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  7. ↑ Elkerton, Matthew (23 August 2015). "South Grafton Rebels make history in Group 2 decider". The Daily Examiner. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  8. ↑ Elkerton, Matthew (11 September 2016). "KINGS OF THE CLARENCE: Rebels clinch premiership over Ghosts". The Daily Examiner. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "GRAND FINAL: Grafton Ghosts score spirited grand final win". The Daily Examiner. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Comets too good for Sea Eagles in Group 2 grand final". The Coffs Coast Advocate. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "Grand Final 2". 28 August 2018. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2018– via YouTube.
  12. ↑ Smith, Tallon (22 September 2023). "Grand Final Watch: Dubbo CYMS take Peter McDonald Premiership title, plus a recap of Groups 2, 3 & 7, GTS and the NHRL". Battlers For Bush Footy. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  13. ↑ Smith, Tallon (3 September 2024). "Father-Son Fairytale comes true as Nambucca Heads ends 28-year drought in Group 2". Battlers For Bush Footy. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
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