Officials at a Peter McDonald Premiership club are confident they will field a reserve grade side in 2024 despite forfeiting their round one fixture.
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Lithgow Workies Wolves pulled the pin on their reserve grade match-up against Orange Hawks at Wade Park on Sunday, April 28.
President Eric Mahoney said injuries sustained in a trial match against Bathurst Panthers as well as numbers being tight forced the club's hand.
"It's our intention to field a reserve grade side this year," he said.
"We just had a number of injuries come out of the trial because we're just sitting right on the cusp of numbers. So we were just a little bit short.
"We didn't want to have a situation where we travelled to Orange and they've got their side ready to roll and we turn up and we can't play.
"So we've got to make that decision earlier in the week just to be fair to the Orange Hawks club."
Mahoney said Workies were roughly five to six players short, something the club was actively trying to rectify ahead of their round two home match against Nyngan Tigers.
"A lot of all the players have contacted us over the last week or so," he said.
"We're putting a call out for people to come and be part of what I think a big investment in our young people."
With so much of Workies' strategy revolving around developing juniors, Mahoney said having a strong reserve grade side to help bridge the gap between under 18s and first grade was crucial.
"We're just asking some of the former players to come forward so that we can maintain that because we've got a very good 18s side again this year and the Lithgow Storm juniors continue to do a great job bringing forward young players in the area," he said.
"So reserve grade is critical for us as a transition pathway for those younger players and we're putting out a first grade squad that has had every player play with our Storm juniors."
In 2023 Orange CYMS reserve grade side pulled out mid-season following three forfeits.
PMP Chairman Linore Zamparini confirmed Workies would field a reserve grade side in 2024 and said the board would continue to help the club as the season goes on.
"We want to keep as many people playing rugby league as we can and whatever support we need to give Lithgow Workies we'll give," he said.
