Marc McLeish re-elected as president of Cowra Magpies

Marc McLeish was re-elected unopposed to the position of club president at the Magpies annual general meeting on October 31.

"Attendance was light, but good, a couple of new faces, which was great," he said.

"We managed to fill all positions other than a couple of operational ones that we have a little while to work on.

"The right sort of help is there and I'm pretty comfortable where we are at the moment.

"We have a committee ready to go and we'll be nominating four teams at the Group AGM next week."

The Magpies fielded a Premier Division side in the Peter McDonald Cup competition last year after fielding just a First Division and Under 18 sides the previous season.

At the time the Magpies considered the 2022 season as "a year to rebuild".

In 2023 First Division and league tag competitions are a strong possibility of also becoming part of the Peter McDonald competition.

Group 11 clubs in particular are hoping the First Division and league tag competitions join in 2023.

"There's a little bit of discussion to be had with proposals going both ways," McLeish said of the possible change.

"Group 11 and Group 10 aren't actually seeing eye to eye about which way to go but we haven't had much input in the conversation.

"Our injury toll this year probably clouds the water as to how we were in the competition so it would be unfair of us to have much of a say.

"There were other factors involved for us this season."

Those factors centred around the club's horrific injury toll.

After promising signs early in the season the Magpies lost arguably their best players with Jack Buchanan and Warren Williams succumbing to injuries early in the season followed by Jack Nobes in the latter half of the competition.

"It's a matter of regrouping for us and taking what comes at the moment," McLeish said.

"Ideally we absolutely want to see more footy for our girls and our reserve grade, but realistically if you throw Mudgee and Blayney back into the mix with the girls, our girls will play a lot more football.

"Once again the Peter McDonald concept was hard to judge based on that as well but we've always supported the thought that the competition was not ideal where it was.

"We have to be trying things and we're happy to support things that are attempting to take it to a better place, whether it does or not."

NSWRL Regional Manager Tim Del Guzzo recently admitted there were a lot of positive thoughts from clubs at a forum held in Wellington about how First Division and Ladies League Tag could be played in the future.

After the forum he said: "There was strong support at today's club forum for the addition of reserve grade and Ladies League Tag to the Western competition".

"The clubs wanted more footy for reserve grade and League Tag and expressed a desire to have all grades play together in crossover fixtures."

Earlier this year, Del Guzzo told Australian Community Media there would be changes after the 2022-season and said NSWRL would take on board any feedback clubs had for them.

Without crossover rounds this year, reserve grade and league tag sides often went several weeks without playing a match, something which could drive players away going forward.

Those clubs who were fortunate enough to win their respective grand finals in league tag and reserve grade played off against their counterparts from the other Group in a one-off match.

The Magpies are close to finalising coaches for the 2023 season in all grades.

McLeish said the club has received three applications for the Premier Division position and he hopes to finalise the position in the next week.

It is understood coaches from all grades last season have put their hands up to continue in the roles.

"All incumbent coaches have been given the opportunity to give us the nod but there are still a few conversations to be had," McLeish said.

Jack Nobes and Jack Buchanan lead the Premier Division side last year, Josh Newling was in charge of the First Division side and Ken McNamara steered the under 18s. Stacey Ashe was coach of the women's league tag side.

"We should have announcements for all four positions in the next 14 days," McLeish said.

Meanwhile McLeish believes last season's injury toll may have cost the Cowra under 18s a premiership.

"Full credit to the under 18s and their coach (Ken McNamara), the situation in the club potentially cost the under 18s a premiership. We had to use the better players in under 18s to keep us alive," McLeish said.

"They demonstrated what it means to be part of a club. It's about the entire club not just the one team which is something that we have tried to bring back in the last couple of years.

"A few of those players needed time in first grade if they are going to further their careers but the balance we would have liked to find wasn't there because of the situation we were in.

"All coaches did a fantastic job," McLeish said.

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