Group 10 Rugby League

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.[3]

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:

• The 'Brazil plan': The leading clubs from the major districts competing in an inter-town club competition.
• The 'Bathurst proposal': An inter-district competition with games played every two weeks, to permit the local competitions to be played on alternative weeks. Winners of the inter-district competition would receive a prize of £100 and the Western Challenge Cup.
• The 'Orange proposal': Rugby league would conduct the same way it was in the 1946 season, with the Western Challenge Cup to be played for at least every three weeks.

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7][8]

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.[9] NSW legend Mark O'Meley played a one-off game for St Pat's in 2016.[10] 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.[11]

From 2023, all four grades of Group 10 Clubs play in the Peter McDonald Premiership alongside Group 11 Rugby League clubs.[12] 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.

Club	Home Ground	PMP	Winners	Runners-up	Years won	Years runner-up
Bathurst Panthers	Carrington Park	Yes	4	3	2006, 2007, 2018, 2019	2000, 2004, 2005
Bathurst St Patrick's	Jack Arrow Sporting Complex	Yes	6	2	1968, 1973, 1989, 2001, 2008, 2014	1953, 1982
Blayney Bears	King George Oval	No	5	3	1977, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998	1986, 1994, 1999
Cowra Magpies	Sid Kallas Oval	No	4	11	1978, 1983, 1992, 1995	1955, 1970, 1971, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2014, 2018
Lithgow Workmen's Club	Tony Luchetti Showground	Yes	4	18	1960, 1991, 2005, 2012	1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1972, 1976, 1978, 1988, 1990, 1998, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015
Mudgee Dragons	Glen Willow	Yes	8	8	1986, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2016, 2022, 2023	1984, 1985, 1987, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2019
Orange CYMS	Wade Park	Yes	12	7	1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1987, 1988, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017	1950, 1951, 1956, 2002, 2012, 2016, 2022
Orange Hawks	Wade Park	Yes	3	7	1955, 1999, 2003	1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1997, 2013, 2023

• Bathurst Panthers
• Bathurst St Patrick's
• Blayney Bears
• Bloomfield Tigers (Feeder club for Orange Hawks)
• Cowra Magpies
• Eglington Eels Bathurst (No seniors)
• Lithgow Storm
• Mudgee Dragons
• Oberon Tigers (Seniors play in Woodbridge Cup)
• Orange CYMS
• Wallerawang Warriors (No seniors)

• Rugby League Competitions in Australia
• Mid West Cup
• Woodbridge Cup

• Group 10 ladder - from Sporting Pulse