He crossed for 27 tries and scored an incredible 234 points in just 16 games during a prolific Woodbridge Cup season last year, easily topping both fields in 2018, while also finishing second in the cup's player of the year count, the Alex Armstrong medal.

The fact is, Hutchings is barely out of the rookie class.

Joining the Eugowra Golden Eagles in 2017 after a group of mates linked with the club, Hutchings has taken to the game like a duck to water and was arguably the biggest transfer of the 2019 off-season, making the switch to last year's runners-up Manildra.

A soccer gun during his junior days and then into his early 20s, the Parkes product has picked up where he left off in 2018 and is booting the Rhinos to an unbeaten start through five rounds of the Woodbridge Cup.

Up next? His old club.

"I'm looking forward to it being a bit fiery," Hutchings, 25, said ahead of the round six clash with Eugowra.

Manildra tackles the also unbeaten Trundle in round seven, the first grand final rematch of the 2019 season.

"But I'm focused on this week, the old-club rivalry," he continued.

"I get on with all the boys still and catch up on the weekends. We'll get through this and then regroup before heading to Trundle."

He says the point-scoring wizardry he's been able to conjure up since making the leap to rugby league has shocked even himself.

During one game last season, the barnstorming left centre scored every one of the Golden Eagles' 24 points in a two-point victory over the Rhinos.

"Ozzie (Manildra coach Simon Osborne) brings it up a little bit," Hutchings said.

"I have a bit of a chuckle about that. It felt good at the time.

"In my first year I knew I'd scored a few tries but ... last year I scored nearly two tries every game. To wrap up top point-scorer was a big thrill as well."

The Rhinos' gun recruit is hoping to put the boot into old club on Sunday at Manildra and says he's excited about what the 2019 season has in store.

"Eugowra was looking to fold and since I've been playing I've loved it and I didn't want to miss out on having a crack again this year," he said of his move to Manildra.

Eugowra has one win from the opening five rounds of the season.

"The way we're setting up now, the team looks stronger than last year and we look pretty hard to knock off," "Hutchings added.

"Hopefully we can go all the way."

And the round-ball game?

"I still play a bit of soccer, when I can," he laughs. "I won't look back though ... I love the footy."

In other games, Cargo will play Grenfell, Peak Hill hosts premiers Trundle, Molong tackles Canowindra and the winless Condobolin earns a round six reprieve via the bye.

In league tag, defending champions Cargo will face a tough Grenfell side in an early-season top-of-the-table clash at the kennel.