The format for the No 1s along with grades two through to sevens is expected to be explained at a meeting at Forster Bowling Club on Thursday, October 15. Representatives from the State match committee will attend and all 15 Manning clubs have been invited.

From next year the former Manning Bowling Association will become a stand-alone zone (Zone 11). This means that pennant winners from the twos to the sevens will go straight to the State playoffs. Previously the Manning district winners had to playoff at zone-level against the champions from the Hunter and Upper Hunter.

However, the No 1 grade will become part of the Northern Conference from 2016. This will take in Zones One, 14, 11 and Three and cover the area from Tweed Heads to Bulahdelah and out to the New England.

"There will be three spots allocated from the Northern Conference to play in the State finals,'' Manning Bowling Association secretary Bruce Elliott explained.

Mr Elliott said four clubs from the Hastings West Port, Port City, Wauchope and North Haven will be involved in the No 1 grade.

Under a proposal to be put forward by the Manning association the four Manning clubs would play each other twice, as would the Hastings teams. Manning and Hastings clubs would play each other once. This would make a 10 game season.

The proposal was formulated by former Australian representative and coach Rex Johnston, now a member of the Tuncurry club.

"I think it has merit, but the final decision will be up to the State match committee,'' Mr Elliott stressed.

Under the format the winner would be first past the post, although the final decision on this would be up to the State committee.

It is also likely the winner would then be involved in further competition with clubs in the Northern Conference before the three teams heading to the State finals would be decided, although again, this would be up to the State.

Mr Elliott said there will be no major changes to the running of the remaining grades. However, the 2016 season will start on March 12 for all grades under a State ruling.

Mr Elliott said there will be no double headers where matches are played on Saturday and Sunday in 2016. This was introduced this year and while it cut the length of the season from 10 weeks to seven the concept wasn't popular with smaller clubs with limited playing rosters.

"We will only play double headers if wet weather intervenes and we get a backlog of matches,'' he added.

Mr Elliott is confident Manning's new status will revitalise numbers playing in not only pennants but district games. From next year the Zone 11 championship winners in the various competitions will progress straight to State.

"That should be an attraction for players and I hope it also leads to an increase in our junior ranks,'' he said.