– Tallon Smith
A huge opening round showdown between the off-season’s two biggest movers has headlined the 2026 Group 9 Rugby League draw released this week.
In their first game under new coach Luke McBeath, the South City Bulls will travel to Alfred Oval to take on a star-studded Young Cherrypickers side in a highly-anticipated Sunday afternoon clash of two early premiership favourites.
Both sides have been very active in the player market over the off-season, with the Bulls strengthened by the returns of Nathan Rose, Mat Lyons and Joel Tracey as they look to make the finals for the first time in four seasons.
Similarly, several key off-season additions will debut for the Cherrypickers in the round one clash, including former Group 7 Best and Fairest Kane Ball and Souths NSW Cup halfback Brent Hawkins, who will also begin a new era under co-coaches Jayke Hogan and Daniel Barclay after the departure of Tom Giles.
That match is part of a two-game Sunday slate, with reigning premiers Gundagai Tigers set to open their premiership defence at the same time against local rivals Junee at Anzac Park. The match will be the Tigers’ first under new coach Hayden Ashcroft, after the departure of Aaron Gorrell to the St George Illawarra Dragons’ Jersey Flegg team, as well as the Group 9 debut for incoming Diesels half Connor Garrety.
Kicking off round one a day earlier is another interesting early season story-line, when two newly-appointed head coaches take charge of their teams for the first time in Temora’s clash with Cootamundra at Nixon Park.
The match will see incoming Dragons mentor Jordon Burley make his Group 9 coaching debut against vastly experienced returning Bulldogs captain-coach and premiership winner Luke Berkrey in an early test for both sides.
Another key clash of the opening weekend looms when Albury Thunder welcomes Aidan Connell and Brad Nicholson to its line-up against three-time runners up Wagga Kangaroos at Greenfield Park. That clash will also mark the beginning of a new era for Kangaroos under coach Zeik Foster, with a new-look line-up set to take the field following the departures of Nathan Rose, Charlie Barton, Connor McCauley and Bowie Foster among others over the off-season.
The final Saturday game will see a new-look Wagga Brothers outfit, bolstered by the signings of former South City coach Cleve McGhie, Merimbula-Pambula star Bailie Lyttle and the return of local junior Cohen Benson, face a stern test to open its campaign when it welcomes Dean Bristow’s Tumut Blues to Geohex Park.
Following the opening round is the first of three general byes for Anzac Day, with the league opting not to schedule any fixtures over that weekend.
The fixture then goes up another gear in round two, with a rivalry round scheduled, headlined by the first leg of the Tumut v Gundagai grudge match at Twickenham Oval. Fans also won’t have to wait long for Nathan Rose’s return to Geohex Park, with the Bulls set to face the Wagga Kangaroos in a local derby that same weekend.
The remaining fixtures in the rivalry weekend see Junee take on local rivals Cootamundra, Temora tackle Young in a rematch of last year’s semi final, and Albury host former Group 13 combatants Wagga Brothers at Greenfield Park.
Another Wagga derby follows a week later, when the Kangaroos and Brothers face off in the battle of Geohex Park.
Other early season highlights include a renewal of the Gundagai-South City rivalry in round five, and a rematch of last season’s Preliminary Final between Gundagai and Young a week later.
In one of the only downsides to the draw, fans will have to wait until June 20 for the Grand Final rematch between the Kangaroos and reigning premier Tigers, with the only match between the two sides set to be hosted by last season’s runners-up at Geohex Park.
The final round of the competition will be headlined by a rematch of the 2024 Grand Final between Kangaroos and Young, with the remaining games seeing Gundagai host Temora, Brothers take on Junee, Tumut travelling to Albury, and South City tackling Cootamundra.
Following this, the traditional four-week, five-team finals series will follow, beginning on the weekend of August 29-30 and concluding with the Grand Final in Wagga on Sunday, September 2.
Round 1 (April 18-19) Albury v Wagga Kangaroos, Wagga Brothers v Tumut, Temora v Cootamundra, Young v South City, Gundagai v Junee
April 25-26 – General Bye (Anzac Day),
Round 2 (May 2-3) Wagga Kangaroos v South City, Junee v Cootamundra, Temora v Young, Tumut v Gundagai, Albury v Wagga Brothers
Round 3 (May 9-10) Wagga Kangaroos v Wagga Brothers, Cootamundra v Tumut, Young v Junee South City v Temora, Gundagai v Albury
Round 4 (May 16-17) Temora v Wagga Kangaroos, Wagga Brothers v Gundagai, South City v Junee, Albury v Cootamundra, Tumut v Young
Round 5 (May 23-24) Wagga Kangaroos v Tumut, Gundagai v South City, Young v Cootamundra, Wagga Brothers v Temora, Junee v Albury
Round 6 (May 30-31) Cootamundra v Wagga Kangaroos, South City v Wagga Brothers, Tumut v Junee, Albury v Temora, Gundagai v Young
June 6-7 – General Bye (Long Weekend)
Round 7 (June 13-14) Temora v Gundagai, Junee v Wagga Brothers, Cootamundra v South City, Tumut v Albury, Wagga Kangaroos v Young
Round 8 (June 20-21) Wagga Kangaroos v Gundagai, Young v Albury, Temora v Junee, South City v Tumut, Cootamundra v Wagga Brothers
Round 9 (June 27-28) Junee v Wagga Kangaroos, Tumut v Temora, Gundagai v Cootamundra, Wagga Brothers v Young, Albury v South City
Round 10 (July 4-5) Wagga Kangaroos v Albury, Junee v Gundagai, South City v Young, Cootamundra v Temora ,Tumut v Wagga Brothers
Round 11 (July 11-12) Gundagai v Tumut, Cootamundra v Junee, Wagga Brothers v Albury, South City v Wagga Kangaroos, Young v Temora
Round 12 (July 18-19) Wagga Brothers v Wagga Kangaroos, Junee v Young, Temora v South City, Tumut v Cootamundra, Albury v Gundagai
Round 13 (July 25-26) Gundagai v Wagga Brothers, Young v Tumut, Wagga Kangaroos v Temora, Cootamundra v Albury, Junee v South City
August 1-2 – General Bye (Junee Carnival)
Round 14 (August 8-9) South City v Gundagai, Temora v Wagga Brothers, Albury v Junee, Tumut v Wagga Kangaroos, Cootamundra v Young
Round 15 (August 15-16) Wagga Kangaroos v Cootamundra, Young v Gundagai, Temora v Albury, Junee v Tumut, Wagga Brothers v South City
Round 16 (August 22-23) Young v Wagga Kangaroos, Gundagai v Temora, Wagga Brothers v Junee, Albury v Tumut, South City v Cootamundra
FINALS
Elimination Final – August 29
Qualifying Final – August 30
Major Semi Final – September 5
Minor Semi Final – September 6
Preliminary Final – September 13
Grand Final – September 20
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.