To many associated with rugby union in the Central West, Orange Emus veteran Nigel Staniforth is bullet proof.

A three-time Blowes Clothing Cup winning captain, the seriously classy outside back is the owner of more game-winning conversions or penalty goals than most players can dream of and has guided Emus through one of its most successful eras, the club's top grade side appearing in each of the last six grand finals.

Seemingly, any hurdle in front of the 39-year-old is one he can clear with ease.

But the challenge he faced ahead of round six was his greatest.

After playing in round one at Forbes, Staniforth had been absent from Emus' undefeated run through the first five weeks of the competition after being diagnosed with testicular cancer for a second time.

Staniforth made a successful return to Pete Bromley's First XV after being cleared to play following his recovery from a successful procedure that put a halt to the spread of the cancer, something that wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't detected in its early stages.

The importance of early detection and awareness is a message Staniforth is hoping to advocate this time around, with testicular cancer the third-biggest killer among the 17-40 age group.

"When I was 21, the cancer went to stage two and I had to have chemotherapy," Staniforth said.

"In hindsight, I regret disappearing and not really telling anyone what was going on. It's a bit of a taboo topic for young men and we need to be able to talk about it.

Growing up playing league tag for Orange Hawks, Kaitlyn Phillips always used to stick around after her games and watch the boys play.

While she admired their talent and enjoyed the competitiveness of Group 10 football, one feeling stood tall above the rest ... "I want to tackle like that".

Phillips was always a fan of the contact.

She always wanted to take a charge off the kick-off or bury her shoulders into an opposition ball carrier, which is probably why the 21-year-old second-rower took so kindly to the contact code when she made the switch in 2019.

Phillips went from Group 10 to Western to NSW Country then exploded on the scene with Mounties in the Harvey Norman NSW Women's Premiership - virtually in the space of 18 months - and on Saturday October 3, Phillips made her debut for the Sydney Roosters in the NRLW.

While she didn't get the playing time she would have liked in her side's upset over the Red V, Phillips more than held her own on the biggest women's rugby league stage in Australia.

After another sensational season, Jason Belmonte was voted the 2020 Chris Schenkel Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year for the second season in-a-row.

The coup sees the Orange legend draw level with PBA Hall of Famer Earl Anthony for the second-most all-time POY awards. Only Walter Ray Williams Jr., with seven, has more.

The 37-year-old won two major championships in 2020 to extend his PBA record to 13 career major victories. His win in the U.S. Open made him the second player in history to complete the Super Slam of all five major titles.

In the final event before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause to the season, Belmonte won his third consecutive PBA World Championship.

With another groundbreaking year complete, Belmonte has set his goals even higher.

"I have my eyes firmly set on Walter Ray's record of seven Player of the Year Awards and to continue to build my resume with major and national title wins," said Belmonte.

Saturday September 12 was one of the biggest days of Cody Ramsey's life.

The 20-year-old Molong product made his long-awaited NRL debut in a match where he accounted for all of the Dragon's points in a tough 38-8 loss to the Canberra Raiders.

He showcased both his finishing skills in the corner, as well as his aerial prowess as he snagged a bomb out of the air to score the first of many highlight reel tries in the top grade.

Ramsey went on to play more games for Dean Young before the end of the season and announced himself as an out-and-out starter for years to come.

Blayney Bears put Group 10 on notice when they signed former NRL forward Siosaia Vave in the lead-up to the 2020 season but what happened after the signing sent even bigger shockwaves through the region.

The 35-year-old fell off the map, disappearing with the money Blayney had paid him for the upcoming campaign.

The big-name signing had not been seen in town since collecting his sign-on bonus, and failed to answer or return any phone calls from the Bears' committee.

The club went public with their dismay on Sunday night, Vave's disappearing act first outed in the Sydney press.

Vave then reemerged a few days later, calling the Bears to express his desire to appear with the club still, but president Damon Taylor said the big man "won't be playing" in Blayney this season.