First Group 10, then Group 11 and now the Woodbridge Cup - all three have decided to pull the pin on running competitive premiership races for the remainder of 2020, and really, who could blame them?

The communication surrounding the return of senior community sport in NSW has been atrocious. Near negligent.

At one point there, the NSW Government declared it was time to 'let the NRL loose' and allow crowds back to games ... all the while sporting clubs across the regional NSW were left wondering if and when they'd even be allowed to train as a team, let alone play games at all. Nevermind in front of a crowd.

Left out in the dark for so long boards and committees across NSW were left with no choice but to turn their attention to 2021.

And, now, the only question is who's next? Will another bite the dust?

The Castlereagh League was looking like it was full steam ahead last week until two clubs decided looking ahead to 2021 was their preferred option, with Trangie and then Gulgong opting out of this winter.

The mid-west competition will meet on Wednesday night to nut out its preferred path forward, and again it looks like it's all systems go for the relatively small second division title race.

But Blackheath is gone, and there's a murmur coming from the valley that Portland won't field a team either. All of a sudden you have to wonder: Are the six other sides a hope?

The Central West Rugby Union, AFL Central West, Premier League Hockey - although the men's title race won't happen - Western Premier League and the respective district competitions run out of each town all look like pushing on.

You have to think those competitions will be out on the field come July 18 ... but in what capacity? And in what sort of numbers?

It's almost a given individual clubs will sit down in the coming weeks and suss out all of the restrictions being placed on community sport so teams and competitions can resume normal proceedings.

There's nothing normal about what each club will have to do though.

Woodbridge Cup boss Andrew Pull said after his board, in consolation with clubs, decided to abandon a 2020 season that the guidelines each club would have to adhere to were pretty stringent.

COVIDsafe officers, taking names and numbers of attendees at the gate. Sanitation. The works. Naturally, too. This is public health we're talking about. It's a serious topic. And there's nothing simple about negotiating a global pandemic.

But the extra pressure meeting those guidelines would place on club volunteers is just not worth the trouble. It's that simple.

Earlier this week I fielded a phone call about the prospect of a Western Division first grade comp, you know the one - a combined Group 10 and Group 11 premiership.

It's the best concept in the region. The interest would be immense, the footy absorbing and, right now, with no Sunday afternoon footy in the country, an outlet so many see as a ritual, the creation of such a competition would prove an invaluable shot in the arm for the sport in this area.

But how on earth could something like that get off the ground this week - you'd have to think no later - when regular Group footy was already put in the too-hard basket?

Clubs will continue to drop off our sporting radar in 2020. There's no doubt about it. Not just rugby league clubs either. Other, volunteer-driven groups will put the cue in the rack.

And for all intents and purposes, it's a wise decision. The community as a whole is already feeling the pinch, why put more undue pressure on any individuals?

The only drama is, will those clubs sitting out 2020 be viable enough to then return next season?

No assurances from the Government, no help for those that devote nearly their whole lives to help keep sporting clubs alive.

How much sport needs to go by the wayside before the government let's country sport loose too?