In what must have been an oversight in the original drafts, the Bears were pencilled in to play the side coming off the bye in each of the Group 10 regular season’s 18 rounds, meaning last year’s wooden spooners would face a fresh opposition each week as it attempts to climb back up off the bottom of the competition ladder.

Group 10 secretary Peter McDonald said the change was made to make the draw “fairer”.

Blayney now doesn’t face a team that is coming off the bye, while the Bears will enjoy a week off in rounds eight and 17.

“There were only a couple of changes from the draft draw and Blayney was one of them,” McDonald said, the Bears finishing ninth in both 2013 and 2014 after rejoining the Group 10 competition two seasons ago.

“They always played the team that was coming off the bye and [considering] how they went this year, it was changed to make it fairer.”

In a mirrored draw the re-vamped Bears open the season with a tough clash against defending premiers Bathurst St Pat’s at the Bathurst Sportsground on Sunday, April 12. They then host Orange Hawks in the club’s first clash at King George Oval in 2015.

Hawks and CYMS begin the year with an Orange derby at Wade Park on April 12.

Bathurst’s derby between the Todd Barrow-led Panthers and Kurt Hancock’s St Pat’s is on April 26 while, an unofficial derby but a match with as much feeling in it as any in Group 10, Mudgee takes on Lithgow Workies at Glen Willow in round two, staged on April 19.

The grand final replay is in round two on April 19 with Cowra hosting St Pat’s.

The first week of the semi-finals is scheduled for August 23 and the grand final will be held on September 13.