The strong Campbelltown City, Valley United, Collegians and All Saints are set to join East Campbelltown and Ingelburn Bulldogs in first grade.

Group 6 president Grahame Andrews said the competition management committee, recently re-instated at the AGM, welcomed the newcomers.

“Our charter is to give anyone who wants to play rugby league the opportunity to do so,” Andrews said.

But he said they must first meet a strict criterion before their applications to play first grade would be successful.

The criterion includes financial viability, junior development and a stable administration.

If the four new clubs are successful in their application, there could be up to 14 teams in first grade this year - a far cry from the six team Group 6 competition back in 2008.

Wests Juniors sole representatives in the top grade last season, East Campbelltown and Ingleburn, had mixed success, but that could all be about to change.

The competition management committee has implemented a two-year moratorium on the movement of players.

This means no player can be released from a club without the club’s permission.

Andrews said cashed-up Group 6 clubs would not be able to throw bucket loads of money at talented Campbelltown juniors and expect to win a competition.

He said an enforceable points system, where teams could only have so many representative players, meant each club would be on a level playing field.

“There’ll never be another team like Thirlmere were, three years ago,” Andrews said.

“At that stage the club had a big budget to buy whoever they wanted.

“That won’t happen again.”