Competition games were scheduled to kick off on 13 May but were pushed back to 20 May when clubs complained they had not had enough time to practice the new code.

[4] A Goldfields' League was formed in West Wyalong, and games were played in Tamworth, Aberdeen, and along the South Coast.

When their proposal was rejected the CRL broke away from the NSWRL for a week, but returned to the fold with a promise that a committee would be set up to sort things out.

Eventually the CRL gave in on the grounds that it was in no one's best interests to have the game divided during World War II.

On 24 August 2018, the NSWRL and CRL announced that they had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to begin formal discussions in relation to a possible merger of the two organisations, and a single body governing all rugby league in the state for the first time in more than 80 years.

[5] In 19 October 2019 the organisations merged after the NSWRL agreed a new constitution and the CRL, over a year ahead of time.

[8] Both sides were originally made up of the best players playing in the Country Rugby League and the Sydney-based NSWRL Premiership.