Group 11 names guns in bid for Western three-peat against Group 10

Long-time rep guns Sam Dwyer and Ben Maguire headline the Group 11 outfit, a hugely new-look side after the Country Rugby League changed the structure of its Country Championships and dropped the age group from opens to under 23s this winter.

Naturally, Group 11 and Group 10 will follow suit with its top age representative sides and name the best under 23s players on offer.

And Group 11 operations manager Paul Loxley says there’s every chance the red and blacks will continue their dominance of the fixture come kick-off at Jock Colley Oval on April 22.

Group 11 won last year’s top age game 38-18 at Gilgandra, while in 2015 Col Wright’s side won again, this time at Dubbo, to the tune of 14-6.

“We'd like to think we name our best side and we’ll go out there and be more than competitive,” Loxley said.

“We’ve picked the best 17 players we think we have.”

Group 11 selectors, headed by coach Col Wright, picked the side after two weeks worth of club-based trails over the last fortnight.

Loxley said the process was “fair and equitable” and was confident bragging rights was enough of an incentive for the current crop of Group 11 representatives to extend its current streak over Group 10 to three straight wins.

Group 10 won games in 2013 and 2014.

“The point is to give the best guys in our competition a chance to play at a higher level and against Group 10,” Loxley added.

“There’s plenty of talent, in both Groups, and this is a great way to showcase that.

“And that’s the same for the girls too. They’ve been great for Group 11 and the talent and the standard of league tag in this area has improved greatly.” 

Group 10 is yet to name its squad for the clash, which will kick-off at 2.50pm at Parkes on Saturday, April 22.

Group 11 also released under 18s and league tag squads, with the two to play in the lead-up to the main game at Jock Colley Oval.

Under 18s and league tag games kick-off at 10am, with Woodbridge Cup and Castlereagh League sides also to compete at the Western divisionals.

GROUP 11: 1 Sam Dwyer (Parkes), 2 Hayden Howell (Dubbo CYMS), 3 Jarrad Tyack (Forbes), 4 Jesse Wighton (Forbes), 5 Pat Murphy (Forbes), 6 Alex Bonham (Dubbo CYMS), 7 Chad Porter (Parkes), 8 Lee Price (Dubbo CYMS), 9 Hamish Astill (Dubbo CYMS), 10 Lincoln Kavanagh (Dubbo CYMS), 11 Ben Maguire (Forbes), 12 Luke Gale (Macquarie), 13 Fletcher Strong (Parkes); 14 Clayton Couley (Nyngan), 15 Wade Kavanagh (Dubbo CYMS), 16 John Ciappara (Macquarie), 17 Mitch Bourke (Forbes).

LEAGUE TAG: 1 Lillyann Mason (Forbes), 2 Alana Ryan (Nyngan), 3 Maddison Chapman, 4 Majayda Darcy (Dubbo CYMS), 5 Jacana Powell (Narromine), 6 Rikka Lamb (Dubbo CYMS), 7 Tyanna Goolagon (Parkes), 8 Demi Winter (Parkes), 9 Demi Wilson (Dubbo CYMS), 10 Tiffney Stanley (Westside), 11 Tish Boney (Westside), 12 Dee Smith (Macquarie), 13 Claire Barber (Parkes); 14 Sally Dwyer (Forbes), 15 Tarlee Roberts (Westside), 16 April Townsend (Forbes), 17 Samy Afele (Parkes).

UNDER 18S: 1 Charlie Staines (Forbes), 2 Farren Lamb (Forbes), 3 Jed Herbert (Forbes), 4 Ben Davis (Parkes), 5 Jacob Smede (Parkes), 6 Matt Burton (Dubbo CYMS), 7 Baiden Searle (Dubbo CYMS), 8 Blake Frost (Macquarie), 9 Jayden Burke (Forbes), 10 Baine Gordon (Macquarie), 11 Matt Duffield (Wellington), 12 Kaiden Hopkins (Westside), 13 Bailey Jones (Parkes); 14 Kane McDermott (Macquarie), 15 Jai Merritt (Macquarie), 16 Caleb Murray (Westside), 17 Brendan Shillingsworth (Westside).