The major prize for the annual pre-season tournament has this year been bumped up to the $10,000 mark – a figure that rivals most, if not all, prizemoney awarded to premiers in Group competitions CRL wide.

Magpies coach Jake Grace says after his side went within a feather of contesting the knockout’s final in 2016 – they lost to then Group 9 premiers Gundagai 14-10 in the semi-final – Forbes would travel up the Newell Highway confident of giving the West Wyalong tournament a serious shake.

“We went last year and I was rapt with the way we played, given a lot of us hadn’t played together a lot,” Grace said, enthused by his side’s pre-season training to date.

“We have kept things pretty casual to start off with. We’re back a month later than usual but that’s because we played up until the grand final.

“We’ve had a pretty decent 12 months now, so I’ll be keen to see how we fare next year.”

Forbes will head to the competition to take on a smattering of the best sides from across CRL with somewhat of a different looking line-up to the one that knocked off Dubbo CYMS in last season’s Group 11 decider – snapping a 29-year premiership drought.

Gone is young centre Mitch Andrews (Newcastle), while dynamic hooker Hayden Bolam (Wollongong) is also on the move.

Grace said halfback Nick Greenhalgh was also uncertain about his playing future ahead of 2017, but the likeable coach was confident whoever lines up in a black and white jumper next season will provide more than adequate cover for the trio of premeirship stars.

“The culture we’ve created here over the course of the last couple of seasons will ensure that," he said.

All 16 teams for the knockout have been confirmed, with the lucrative tournament attracting its widest reach yet.

While Group 9 clubs dominate the entrants, the addition of Group 7 club Shellharbour means clubs from seven competitions will take part in February. 

Group Nine clubs Brothers, Junee, Temora and Gundagai have joined Southcity, Kangaroos and Young for the event, which is worth a grand total of almost $15,000.

Four Group 20 clubs, Leeton, Yenda, Tullibigeal-Lakes United and the hosts, will take part plus Group 10 club Bathurst Panthers.

Forbes is the only Group 11 club on board, while Woden Valley will represent the Canberra competition and Cobar, from the Barwon Darling Cup, completes the field.

Nominations are still open for the women’s league tag knockout as well.