Cup Corner: Is this a glimpse into the future of Woodbridge Cup?

Cup Corner is back, let's dive into it.

Round four saw an unexpected development in the Woodbridge Cup youth tag, crossover games with Castlereagh youth league.

Blayney Bears took on Gulgong Terriers on Sunday in the first of the crossover fixtures while Canowindra Tigers were due to play Binnaway Bombshells but forfeited.

It was a decent match as well with Gulgong overcoming Blayney 18-14.

With Castlereagh only featuring four sides in their youth competition, repetitive fixtures are an issue as we saw in Woodbridge Cup in 2023.

Next up Orange United Warriors will play Cobar Roosters on May 19 at Lindner Oval in Peak Hill.

This experiment had us thinking - what if Castlereagh and Woodbridge merged one day?

Now before you (rightly) shout me down, we're talking years and years down the track.

Registration numbers have been a battle for a while and again popped up prior to the 2024 season, Condobolin Rams eventually pulling the pin.

Meanwhile Lithgow Workies are battling to field the required four grades in the Peter McDonald Premiership and alongside fellow small population centres like Nyngan and Wellington are vulnerable to the overall trend of decreased participation in community sport.

Blayney and Cowra have already made the move the Woodbridge but if Lithgow were to fall over in the future it does make a Group 10 second division featuring the aforementioned teams and the former Midwest Cup clubs a real possibility.

It would leave Woodbridge Cup with eight teams and open the door for some kind of mega hybrid western NSW competition.

Maybe it takes the form of conferences to alleviate travel or maybe it's a 'play everyone once' deal.

Maybe Nyngan decide the PMP isn't for them and need to find a new home.

It may still seem ludicrous but bush footy is trending one way and it involves merged competitions and a smaller player base.

Food for thought.

With around one-third of the season already completed (yes, 2024 is flying by), it's worth checking in with the leading point scorers in each competition.

In both first grade and league tag there is a daylight between first and second.

Canowindra's Joseph Treasure leads the tally for the men with 52 points, including three tries.

The remaining 40 points have come via the many, many opportunities for goal kicking the Tigers have given him after they racked up 158 points in the first four rounds.

His closest competitor on 32 points is Thomas Rose of Cowra Magpies, another team who have been keeping scorers busy with 172 so far.

But you ain't seen nothing yet.

In league tag Manildra Rhinettes coach Molly Hoswell has started the season on fire, scoring a whopping 74 points.

Amazingly, 40 of those have come via tries and with the defending premiers racking up big scores almost every week it's a trend likely to continue.

It's still early days and injuries and team form can still have an effects but we'll go out on limb and say neither of these two will be caught by season's end.

Each week we will take a look at which teams have been lighting up the first grade and league tag competitions, alternating between the two.

For those unfamiliar with a power ranking ladder, it's similar to your conventional standings, except it's completely subjective and based on who we think is in the best form, regardless of their points total.

It's time for the second edition of the league tag rankings.