John Fitzgerald

Oberon Tigers are champions for another year after their 24-14 win over Blayney Bears in the Woodbridge Cup grand final held at Cowra’s Sid Kallas Oval on Sunday.

The Tigers celebrated back-to-back success over their former fellow Group 10 opponents in a game where Oberon had it won but saw Blayney come back in the second half to get within eight points of the premiers, where the result could have gone either way.

Oberon started impressively but Blayney’s defence was up to the task and they held strong until the 17-minute mark when prop Ryan Jervis found a gaping hole between the posts to crash across to open the scoring for the day.

A quick second try, to winger Abel Faifua Lefoseu down the right sideline, increased the margin over Blayney, and a late first-half try to veteran prop Luke Christie-Johnson gave Oberon an 18-0 halftime lead.

Blayney came out at halftime showing renewed determination but still found their opponent’s defensive line hard to crack.

Oberon’s defence was again put to the test but it took until the 59th minute before Blayney scored after a try to Brodie Fenton.

Fenton’s try lifted Blayney’s enthusiasm, and another two tries brought the Bears back into the picture at 18-10 with 15 minutes to go and raised the hopes of their supporters of a late-game resurgence.

But it was Oberon who took the initiative and after a period of intense attack on the Blayney line and two no-try decisions it was hooker Jack O’Neill who burrowed his way across alongside the posts to allow Blake Fitzpatrick an easy kick at goal for a 24-14 score, a scoreline taken to the final whistle.

Blayney were worthy grand final opponents after flying under the radar most of the season but Oberon deserved their second title after some impressive results which gave them a second minor premiership before their second major title.

Editor’s Note – Battlers For Bush Footy would like to thank John Fitzgerald for his weekly contributions covering the Woodbridge Cup again in 2026!