Group Nine first grade teams are bracing for more byes with the uncertain future of Junee.
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Under NSW Rugby League rules, if the Diesels forfeit again next week they can be removed from first grade.
Junee are drawn to tackle Temora at Nixon Park next Saturday and Dragons captain-coach Josh McCrone isn't expecting his side will start their campaign then.
"It's disappointing they've committed to something they can't fulfil," McCrone said.
"There is still more to go under the bridge but I think there should be some sort of penalty if they are not going to play first grade after the fact we went there last year to help them out."
Last year make-up games were held at Laurie Daley Oval between the two teams who would have had the bye.
However Group Nine chairman Andrew Hinchcliffe confirmed there would be no changes to the draw if the Diesels are withdrawn.
"We all agreed we may have learnt from some mistakes we might have made last year and we're not going to make any changes to the draw regardless of the situation," Hinchcliffe said.
"We are going to leave it as is."
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McCrone supported that with the club's plans for the season already mapped out.
Gundagai captain-coach Luke Berkrey questioned why the club forfeited first grade after making a strong commitment to returning in 2022.
"I don't think you can withdraw from first grade but go ahead and play reserve grade when they came out at the start of the year saying they were going to be playing," Berkrey said.
"You have to fulfil the highest commitment, which is first grade, but I hope they can get it all together for next week and have no problems moving forward."
Coming off the back of a tough season themselves, Brothers president Mitch Dunn was another to question the timing of Junee's decision.
"They are saying they have 27 players registered and it wasn't great obviously but we scraped and clawed our way all season last year with about the same amount of players in both grades," Dunn said.
"My preference would be that they play first grade."
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