Woodbridge Cup Corner: Condobolin and Cargo make big comebacks

Week two of the finals delivered on the drama and helped set up a mouthwatering set of preliminary finals fixtures.

Here's what caught our eye from the weekend's action.

Oberon to Condobolin is a mighty road trip even by Woodbridge Cup standards, almost four hours one-way.

So when Oberon Tigers led Condobolin Rams 24-6 they must have been looking forward to an upbeat journey back east.

The Rams dug their heels in and fought their way back into the match, eventually emerging victorious 40-36 in an end-to-end battle.

It was a remarkable result given the 18-point deficit and the fact they had been belted 54-6 the week before by Canowindra Tigers.

It may not have been a record-breaking comeback but Condo's ability to defy their recent form and fight to stay alive is worthy of earning a place in supporters' memories.

Manildra Rhinos ended the regular season in the best possible position - minor premiers with grand final hosting rights confirmed.

A shock loss to Trundle Boomers in their qualifying final flipped the script, meaning the Rhinos would have to take the hard way to the decider.

The first part of that equation was covered with a hard-fought 30-12 win against Orange United Warriors on Saturday.

In what was a fiery clash at Jack Huxley Oval, Manildra saw off their tricky opponents to set up another date with the Tigers.

If the last encounter between the two sides was anything to go by we could be in for a humdinger at Tom Clyburn Oval on Sunday.

Few would have predicted Cargo Blue Heelers and Molong Bulls to be playing off for a spot in the league tag grand final.

In 2022, the Blue Heelers were on the brink of extinction, barely able to field a team.

They did eventually but they failed to win a single game, making their achievements in 2023 even more remarkable.

Their opponents in Trundle on Saturday have already gone one further than last year, where they exited in week two of finals.

The Bulls boast one of the competition's most dangerous players in fullback Katie Fulwood (16 tries) while Paige Bohringer and Libby Peschka (15 tries each) also pose a threat.

It's a long way to travel but well worth the spoils.

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