Group 2 is a rugby league competition on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia. Since 1966, run under the auspices of the NSWRL . The Group 2 area runs from Grafton in the north to Macksville in the south. Group 2 teams played for many decades before 1966 when some redistribution, amalgamation or control mechanism presumably changed. Teams on the Nambucca River, namely Bowraville, Macksville and Nambucca Heads played in a southern division against Kempsey, Smithtown, Port Macquarie and Wauchope before 1966.
Teams
Clubs in Group 2 Competitions
Clubs City/Town Home GroundTitles Seniors JuniorsSenior Clubs Coffs Harbour Comets Coffs Harbour Geoff King Motors Oval1970–71, 1973–74, 1983, 1985, 2013, 2018 Yes Yes Grafton Ghosts Grafton Frank McGuren Field2014, 2017, 2019 Yes Yes Macksville Sea Eagles Macksville Allan Gillett Oval1979, 1991, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2026 Yes Yes Nambucca Heads Roosters Nambucca Heads Coronation Park1969, 1972, 1975–76, 1986, 1992–93, 2024-2025 Yes Yes Sawtell Panthers Coffs Harbour (Sawtell)Rex Hardaker Oval1978, 2009, 2011 Yes Yes South Grafton Rebels Grafton McKittrick Park2015–16, 2022 Yes Yes Woolgoolga Seahorses WoolgoolgaWoolgoolga Sports Ground2023 Yes Yes Junior Clubs Bowraville Tigers Bowraville Bowraville Sports HubNone No Yes Kempsey Dragons Kempsey Verge Street OvalNone No* Yes Smithtown Tigers Smithtown Smithtown Oval1966, 1968, 1977 No‡ Yes *Kempsey Dragons no longer field a senior team, but remain a member of Group 2. Kempsey's modern senior side, the Macleay Valley Mustangs, play in the Group 3 Rugby League Premiership.
‡Smithtown's senior team is Lower Macleay Magpies, in Hastings League.
Former clubs
In Recess Defunct/Moved Former clubs Bellingen Dorrigo Magpies Coffs Harbour Raiders Coffs Jetty Park Beach Central Kempsey Gimbisi Valley Warriors Dunghutti Broncos Kempsey Kowboys Kempsey Dragons Macleay Valley Mustangs Ngaku Warriors (Kempsey) Orara Valley Axemen Port City Breakers Port Macquarie Sharks Smithtown
First Grade Grand Final Results 1966–present SeasonGrand Final InformationMinor PremiersPremiersScoreRunners-upReport1966 Smithtown Tigers 3–2 Macksville Sea Eagles1967 Smithtown Tigers – Coffs Harbour1968 Smithtown Tigers 7–4 Coffs Harbour Comets1969 Nambucca Heads Roosters 10–6 Central Kempsey1970 Coffs Harbour Comets – Central Kempsey1971 Coffs Harbour Comets 20–9 Nambucca Heads Roosters1972 Nambucca Heads Roosters 15–10 Coffs Harbour Comets1973 Coffs Harbour Comets 20–13 Nambucca Heads Roosters1974 Coffs Harbour Comets 6–2 Bellingen Magpies1975 Nambucca Heads Roosters 19–4 Kempsey Dragons1976 Nambucca Heads Roosters 19–2 Bellingen Magpies1977 Smithtown Tigers – Nambucca Heads Roosters1978 Sawtell Panthers 14–13 Smithtown Tigers Sawtell (Clayton Cup)1979 Macksville Sea Eagles 24–7 Smithtown Tigers1980 Bellingen Magpies 19–10 Sawtell Panthers1981 Bellingen Magpies 44–0 Macksville Sea Eagles Bellingen Magpies1982 Bellingen Magpies 21–12 Ngaku Warriors (Kempsey) Sawtell Panthers1983 Coffs Harbour Comets 28–16 Woolgoolga Seahorses Coffs Harbour Comets1984 Bellingen Magpies 4–1 Coffs Harbour Comets Bellingen Magpies1985 Coffs Harbour Comets 18–10 Nambucca Heads Roosters Nambucca Heads Roosters1986 Nambucca Heads Roosters 18–16 Kempsey Dragons Kempsey Dragons1987 Bellingen Magpies 23–6 Nambucca Heads Roosters Bellingen Magpies1988 Bellingen Magpies 50–24 Kempsey Dragons Nambucca Heads Roosters1989 Bellingen Magpies 39–6 Coffs Harbour Comets Bellingen Magpies1990 Bellingen Magpies 22–20 Orara Valley Axemen Smithtown Tigers1991 Macksville Sea Eagles 26–26 Coffs Harbour Comets Macksville Sea Eagles1992 Nambucca Heads Roosters 40–6 Woolgoolga Seahorses Nambucca Heads Roosters1993 Nambucca Heads Roosters 26–10 Macksville Sea Eagles Macksville Sea Eagles1994 Orara Valley Axemen 30–18 Nambucca Heads Roosters Macksville Sea Eagles1995 Macksville Sea Eagles 24–16 Coffs Harbour Comets Macksville Sea Eagles1996 Nambucca Heads Roosters 36–34 Orara Valley Axemen Nambucca Heads Roosters1997 Orara Valley Axemen 40–32 Coffs Harbour Comets Coffs Harbour Comets1998 Port Macquarie Sharks 26–25 Nambucca Heads Roosters Nambucca Heads Roosters1999 Bellingen Magpies 20–18 Port Macquarie Sharks Port Macquarie Sharks2000 Port Macquarie Sharks 24–12 Nambucca Heads Roosters Port Macquarie Sharks2001 Port Macquarie Sharks 54–26 Macksville Sea Eagles Port Macquarie Sharks2002 Macksville Sea Eagles 39–26 Port Macquarie Sharks Port Macquarie Sharks2003 Macksville Sea Eagles 30–23 Orara Valley Axemen Port Macquarie Sharks2004 Macksville Sea Eagles 34–23 Port Macquarie Sharks Port Macquarie Sharks2005 Macksville Sea Eagles 60–22 Orara Valley Axemen Orara Valley Axemen2006 Port Macquarie Sharks 22–18 Sawtell Panthers Port Macquarie Sharks2007 Macksville Sea Eagles 32–24 Orara Valley Axemen Macksville Sea Eagles2008 Orara Valley Axemen 19–18 Woolgoolga Seahorses Orara Valley Axemen2009 Sawtell Panthers 21–20 Macksville Sea Eagles Sawtell Panthers2010 Port Macquarie Sharks 41–16 Coffs Harbour Comets Port Macquarie Sharks2011 Sawtell Panthers 29–28 Nambucca Heads Roosters Nambucca Heads Roosters2012 Macleay Valley Mustangs 36–12 Nambucca Heads Roosters Nambucca Heads Roosters2013 Coffs Harbour Comets 42–20 Nambucca Heads Roosters Coffs Harbour Comets2014 Grafton Ghosts 18–16 Coffs Harbour Comets Grafton Ghosts2015 South Grafton Rebels 46–18 Coffs Harbour Comets South Grafton Rebels2016 South Grafton Rebels 26–12 Grafton Ghosts South Grafton Rebels 2017 Grafton Ghosts 32–12 South Grafton Rebels Grafton Ghosts 2018 Coffs Harbour Comets30–14 Macksville Sea Eagles Grafton Ghosts2019 Grafton Ghosts 68–6 Coffs Harbour Comets Coffs Harbour Comets 2020 & 2021 seasons cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic2022 South Grafton Rebels36–8 Orara Valley Axemen Orara Valley Axemen2023 Woolgoolga Seahorses26–10 South Grafton Rebels South Grafton Rebels2024 Nambucca Heads Roosters31–12 Woolgoolga Seahorses Nambucca Heads Roosters2025 Nambucca Heads Roosters14–2 Sawtell Panthers Woolgoolga Seahorses2026 Macksville Sea Eagles24–14 Woolgoolga Seahorses Sawtell Panthers
Premiership Tally Club Premierships Nambucca Heads Roosters 10Bellingen Magpies 9Macksville Sea Eagles 8Coffs Harbour Comets 8 Port Macquarie Sharks 5 Smithtown Tigers 4 Sawtell Panthers 3 Orara Valley Axemen 3 Grafton Ghosts 3South Grafton Rebels 3Woolgoolga Seahorses 1Macleay Valley Mustangs 1
Players from Group 2 to play NRL
PlayerClubGreg InglisBowraville Tigers JRLAlbert KellySmithtown Tigers JRLKevin GordonSawtell Panthers JRLAiden TolmanSmithtown Tigers JRLWayne BartrimMacleay Valley MustangsMatt DonovanMacksville Sea EaglesPaul DavisPort Macquarie, Macksville and DunghuttiClint GreenshieldsSawtell Panthers JRLTroy RobinsonSawtell Panthers JRLMitchell ThomsonSawtell Panthers JRL
Notable players
Bellingen Dylan Edwards
Coffs Harbour Comets
Grafton Ghosts Danny Wicks Anthony Don Daine Laurie
Macksville Sea Eagles Matt Donovan Paul Davis Nathan Smith
Orara Valley Axemen Luke Metcalf
Sawtell Panthers Kevin Gordon Jarrod Wallace Troy Robinson Mitchell Thomson Clint Greenshields Noel Cleal Jason Alchin
South Grafton Rebels Brian Graham John Ferguson Ron Gill Fred Felsch Paul Pyers Kevin Stevens Eric Lawrence
Woolgoolga Seahorses
Bowraville Tigers Greg Inglis
Kempsey Dragons Amos Roberts
Nambucca Heads Roosters Ryan Stig Daniel Fitzhenry Rod Urquhart
Smithtown Tigers Albert Kelly Aiden Tolman
See also
Rugby League Competitions in Australia Group 2 on Country Rugby League's official site
References