A big crowd filed into Tom Clyburn Oval for the first week of the Woodbridge Cup final series, paying $6000 through the gate.
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They were not disappointed as we witnessed four games of real finals football.
The preliminary semi-final saw Cargo Blue Heelers playing Canowindra Tigers, a close, physical and entertaining game with the Heelers getting up 24-18 after leading 20-12 at the break.
The game started well, the Tigers having all the possession, testing the Cargo defence.
From a 40/20, halfback Matt McLean scored and converted, followed by a Jayden Brown try which McLean converted. The Tigers led 12-0 after 15 minutes.
Cargo levelled at 12-all when half and captain-coach Tory Madden scored two good tries and Brett Morgan converted both, with 10 minutes left before the break.
They hit the lead five minutes later with a good team try to Matt Watson, and Morgan converted for 18-12.
Morgan kicked a penalty goal two minutes to the break to push Cargo's lead out to 20-12.
As the half-time bell rang, Tigers five-eighth Rob Burns was given 10 in the bin. Morgan missed a shot at goal, both sides going to the break after a hard fought first half.
The Tigers, down to 12 men, would have to defend well, but were down to 11 men five minutes in when livewire hooker Blake Wilson was sin binned.
It was thought Cargo would run riot, but to their credit the Tigers seemed to lift both in attack and defence, repelling whatever Cargo threw at them.
Cargo stood tall with some solid forward attacks and their defence was bone-jarring on the young Tigers, who kept coming.
Finally, with eight minutes to go, replacement Darren Nurcombe scored for Rob Burns to convert and close the gap to 20-18.
Play went from one end to the other before veteran Blue Heeler, Nigel Thornberry raced through to score the winning try for the Blue Heelers.
It was a game which could have gone either way. The Blue Heelers' forward pack dominated all game with some big runs and solid defence. Their experienced players, Brown, Thornberry, Shepard and Watson, held the side together.
Tory Madden, Cargo halfback and Canowindra half Matt McLean, stood out all game. The Tigers had some good players as well, but discipline let them down at times.
The elimination semi-final saw the Peak Hill Roosters run out eight tries to two winners, 46-12, over Trundle Boomers, ending Trundle's 2014 season.
The Roosters, with a number of juniors playing, were just too fast for the Boomers, who seemed to be pedestrians throughout. The Roosters now play Canowindra in another must-win semi at Gooloogong this Saturday.
In the League Tag elimination semi-final, Grenfell won 16-0, ending Cargo's run, while Canowindra Tigresses won a thriller in extra-time over Eugowra Geagles, 7-6, kicking a field goal in extra-time after the score was still 6-all after five minutes of extra-time. The kick hit the cross bar and bounced over.
This weekend we have the elimination semi-finals at Gooloogong on Saturday, with Eugowra taking on Grenfell (League Tag), Canowindra going up against Eugowra (Youth League) and Canowindra squaring off against Peak Hill (first grade).
In Sunday's major semi-final's at Eugowra, Condoblin goes up against Canowindra (League Tag), Peak Hill battles Grenfell (Youth League) and Eugowra tackles Cargo (first grade).
