Two clubs have confirmed they will apply to depart Group 19 and join Group 4 for the 2020 rugby league season.
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The Uralla Tigers and Walcha District Rugby League have confirmed they are eager to participate in Group 4's proposed six-team premier league competition.
Group 19 made changes to their competition for 2020 which would see first and second divisions dissolved in favour of a one-grade men's competition.
The competition would then either be split into an east and west conference or, after the completion of early rounds, split into tiers.
After the announcement of Group 19's new structure, Walcha president Michael Aspinall, along with Uralla president Stephen Vanry, attended Group 4's Annual General Meeting on November 17 to seek out their options.
Aspinall said the playing group had concerns over facing first grade teams.
"Playing first grade in Group 19 was one of the main ones," he said.
"We didn't know who we were going to play against."
At the time of the AGM, Group 4 had in place a first and reserve grade competition.
Reserve grade would see a two-round, 13 team series with no guarantee the men's and league tag teams would play at the same venue on the same day.
This left question marks for Uralla and Walcha.
In response, at meeting on Monday night, Group 4 came up with a blueprint for a new premier league competition for 2020.
Group 4 chairman Ray McCoy said it will see a firm two-grade, men's and league tag structure.
"The concept or the blueprint we are working on for premier league is designed to fulfill our commitment to clubs to have a home and away series where all their teams play together," he said.
"At the end of the day, one of our jobs is to foster and grow rugby league.
"Under the new banner of NSW Rugby League, without being arrogant, hopefully we are setting up a model that can be used in every group.
"That is a home and away, competitive football, family orientated day."
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Group 4 conveyed their new structures to clubs, and both Uralla and Walcha conducted meetings and confirmed their interest.
Group 4 will still have their eight club first grade competition but the premier league will allow clubs in smaller communities to have a tournament to play in.
In the past, both the Group 4 and Group 19 secondary competitions have outgrown their first division competitions.
McCoy was firm that the new competition will not reflect a second division competition and the committee will prevent premier league from following the same path.
"It can never happen," he said.
"You have got the right people in the right place to monitor that.
"The thing we can't control is the work environment in the bush.
"At the start of the season, you might 30 or 40 players on your books, but if something happens to the mines or the drought continues as such, they are things we are going to have to deal with.
"Nothing is fool proof but we are putting everything in place to make sure that we have the right environment to grow."
McCoy also said it is only a competition for clubs with a men's and league tag team.
If clubs were to expand to include more than three teams, the Group 4 executive would look at their situation on a case-by-case basis to determine what competition they would fall under.
"For argument's sake, if Walcha got enough kids together to have an under-18s discussions would take place with that club to see if it was worthwhile moving up to first division or their under-18s piggyback with Werris Creek or Boggabri," McCoy said.
"At the end of the day, if you are getting clubs that grow to get under-18s then the normal attrition would be to move them to first grade where they would be competitive for four grades every day."
Five clubs - Uralla, Walcha, South West Robins, Barraba and Manilla Tigers - are confirmed as having applications for the premier league competition with a sixth in discussions.
McCoy also revealed the Group 4 competitions would commence on May 2 and a pre-season men's nines and league tag gala day in the works.