There was a lot going on across the two fields and here's five things we noticed roving up and down the sideline, camera in hand.

The Bears were a bit hot and cold on the field but off it they well and truly embraced life in the Woodbridge Cup.

The side lost to Peak Hill Roosters first up, then beat Cargo Blue Heelers to make the final against the Mungoes where they were outclassed 28-8.

There was plenty of noise on the sideline though and this reporter felt very welcomed by Bears volunteers and enjoyed trying out the canteen.

Cowra Magpies were a huge chance of taking out the Peter McDonald Premiership reserve grade title last year after dropping just three games all season.

Unfortunately they faced a long trip to Apex Oval for the grand final and happened to be facing Dubbo CYMS who ran over the top of them late in front of a vocal home crowd.

They enter the Woodbridge Cup with the weight of expectations firmly on their shoulders - they have a good chunk of the 2023 grand final team and a big junior base.

On Saturday they showed a glimpse of how good they will be, going down by one point in the final against last season's preliminary finalists Canowindra Tigers.

Being a uni team has made it hard for the Mungoes to compete against more experienced sides.

But during the pre-season we've heard of plans to tweak the recruitment strategy and it seems like it's paying off.

The students were beaten by Cowra in their first game but responded to shock Manildra Rhinos and then comfortably beat Blayney in the final.

Oh and Ash Magaya has got to be the fastest player in the competition. Cut teams to shreds on the outside.

Dear oh dear.

Spare a thought for those Oberon Tigers boys when the whistle blew to kick-off their first match against Orange United Warriors.

They had just seven players on the field with a few running late.

Despite the numerical disadvantage they actually scored first but it didn't last long with the Warriors quickly restoring order.

A further two rocked up to even the odds a bit but the Tigers were done, heading home early after sustaining a couple of nasty knocks.

Rest up fellas.

Further to the above point - the 10s showcases everything we love about second-tier football.

The day was well run with plenty of people in attendance and bore all the hallmarks of country rugby league - mismatching jerseys, different coloured shorts, taped on numbers (why did Canowindra have a number 91?) and no one being able to figure out where the hell Oberon had gone after their first game.

Never change Woodbridge.