We've officially kicked off the sporting season across the Central West with rugby union, football, Aussie rules, rugby league and hockey having all completed at least one round of action.
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So what better way to celebrate the winter sports calendar than to put out a way too early power ranking of each Orange men's side competing in a Central West competition.
So for clarity, this will include those competing in the Peter McDonald Premiership (Hawks and CYMS), Blowes Clothing Cup (Emus and Orange City), AFL Central West (Tigers), Woodbridge Cup (Orange United), Central West Premier League Hockey (Orange Wanderers) and the Burmac Western Premier League (CYMS, Waratahs and Barnstoneworth).
The number one team on our list will be the side who I am highest on moving forward for the rest of the year, while the unlucky team in tenth will be the group who excite me the least.
So let's reveal our top ten.
1.HAWKS
Shane Rodney's side made a statement in round one when they took down competition favourites Dubbo CYMS 24-22. They then backed that up with a tight win over Nyngan.
There was a lot of intrigue coming into the new era of rugby league out west and the Hawks have immediately made everyone stand up and take notice.
Will they be able to continue this good run of form throughout the season? We'll have to wait and find out, but at the moment, they are clear and away the most exciting team on our radar.
The true test may come when they taken on their green and gold counterparts, speaking of which...
2.CYMS (rugby league)
Not to be outdone, Mortimer's men are also undefeated after two rounds, including a 22-point victory over the Wellington Cowboys while their star halfback was side-lined by an injury.
While you might not be surprised to see the green and golds this high up the list, that doesn't make their standing in Orange's hierarchy any less worthy.
This weekend will see CYMS and Hawks face off against each other in what could be a season-defining match for both.
3.EMUS
We're only two teams through and already we're done with our undefeated crop. Had you told me at the start of the year that Emus wouldn't be on that list, I would've called you a liar...but nevertheless, here we are.
It says a lot about the aura around the club that they can split their first two games and leave us relatively unfazed about their potential moving forward.
We've got little to no doubt that they will still be fighting for a premiership come the end of the season and it wouldn't surprise us to see them rattle off a winning streak.
4.WARATAHS
The first our football clubs have arrived.
It is still early days, but the sky blues are starting to show glimpses of the goal-scoring behemoth we thought they could be before the start of the season. But even more important than that, they managed to keep a clean sheet against last-year's coulda-woulda-shoulda minor premiers in Orana Spurs.
Although they sit third on the Western Premier League ladder, it looks like they're starting to open up a gap against their cross-town competition. Whether they can keep their defence and offence working as one will have to be seen to be believed, but it's promising regardless.
5.ORANGE UNITED
Had we done this list before the start of the year, the Warriors would have likely topped the charts.
With star signing Josh Dugan on board, it was easy to make the Woodbridge Cup side the team to look out for.
An injury before the season to the former NRL star had some wondering if this would be a lost season or not, but the fullback returned in their round two victory and was all praise for his teammates who are far from slouches themselves. Of all the sides on the list, the Warriors have the most potential to grow and it will be interesting to see if they can live up to the hype.
6.BARNSTONEWORTH
I think even the most die-hard Barnies fan would agree that the red and whites have had an underwhelming start to the season.
A win, draw and loss from their opening three games has them sitting in the middle of the pack on the ladder and a quick look at the teams ahead of them would have you thinking they have a hard task to climb through the ranks.
They will need more performances like the 5-0 drubbing of Lithgow from the weekend if they want to grab the city's attention.
7.TIGERS
Having just completed round one, taking on one of the two Bathurst powerhouses was always going to be a tricky task. But the Tigers more than held their own during a 26 point loss.
It is unlikely that the Aussie rules boys will be battling for a premiership come the end of the year, but a playoff spot could still be on the cards and that's nothing to shrug your shoulders at.
Keeping a sport relevant is key during any side's down years, but that's even more important when there is just the one club in town and there's a good chance they can achieve that.
8.ORANGE CITY
The Lions kept things under wraps for a large portion of their pre-season, possibly in the hopes of surprising a few sides to start the year. Unfortunately, that strategy has not worked and they've dropped their first two matches of the new season. A top four finish could still be on the cards, but City will need to turn things around quickly.
9.CYMS (FOOTBALL)
Three losses from three games was not the way the green and golds wanted to begin their debut WPL season.
Getting off on the right foot for any team is important, even more so when you have two other clubs in town to compete with. 2022 might not be the year they were hoping for, we'll see if 2023 can be any different.
10.WANDERERS
The hockey season is underway and although it's still early days, I've not been inspired by Orange's lone men's side. Strap your hopes to the women's teams.
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