Last year Illawarra ended Hunter's remarkable, 17-year stranglehold on the NSW Country Rugby Union Women's Championship, so it's natural to think the reigning title-holders will once again be the side to beat.
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That's certainly the opinion of Central West skipper Mel Waterford anyway, although she said there's little doubt the Novocastrians will pose a massive challenge as they usually do.
Waterford and her Blue Bulls face the reigning champions and hosts Central North in the pool stage on Saturday which, of course, means they'll avoid Hunter until Sunday's final, should they top their respective groups.
"Illawarra won it last year year, but in the other pool Hunter can be tough too, so I wouldn't say one pool is easier than the other," Waterford said.
"We drew with Hunter last year and only just lost to Illawarra. If we'd played [Illawarra] last [in 2018] we might have beaten them ... we were all very tight.
"Because it's that round robin format, it really just depends how well you play on the day and how well you play in each of your pool games."
This could be Central West's best chance in recent memory to return to NSW Country's zenith though, on paper Waterford's Blue Bulls outfit looks to be the strongest the region's fielded in recent history - potentially ever.
Not just in terms of raw talent either, which there's plenty of, even without the likes of veteran Bulldogs half Mandy Scott and CSU Bathurst sensation Claire Woolmington, both of whom are injured.
With club combinations, particularly from the powerhouse Bathurst Bulldogs and Orange Emus Westfund Ferguson Cup outfits, aplenty and the experience of a pre-season tour to New Zealand under their belt, there's certainly no lack of familiarity.
Along with Waterford there's four more of Bulldogs' undefeated side in the Central West squad, in Edwina Ulberg, Courtney Auld, Nicole Schneider and Kate Gullifer.
Emus have six representatives including ACT Brumbies Super W duo Em McDonald and Jacky Lyden, along with Sarah Archer, Milika Tuinakauvadra, Amanda Ferguson and late call-up Nikki D'Aquino.
They're joined by out-and-out stars of the ilk of leading Dubbo Kangaroos prop Kim Fyfe, Sharnah and Kenesha Stevens, LillyAnn Mason-Spice and Helen Blackmore, in a mouth-watering squad.
The format adjustment might play a role for Central West though. With the Westfund Ferguson Cup predominantly being played as a 10s and sevens tournament, this weekend's tournament at Tamworth will be a lot of the squad's first foray into the XV-a-side game for some time.
"Illawarra, they play in the Sydney comp every week, they play Campbelltown, Camden and all that sort of area, so they are constantly playing that 15s format," Waterford said.
"But it [15s] gives you a chance to actually play your position instead of it being like when you are playing for your club team in a sevens format where everyone does everything.
"I think the girls can see there are more opportunities in this format.
"We are lucky we got exposed to it in New Zealand, we've got pretty much the same squad ... we've got a pretty strong squad, there's a lot of experienced girls there."
Central West face Central North first-up at Tamworth's Scully Park, from 8am, before taking on the reigning champions from 2.30pm.
In the other pool Mid North Coast and Central Coast will battle with Hunter for supremacy.
- CENTRAL WEST: 1 Kim Fyfe (Dubbo Kangaroos), 2 Edwina Ulberg (Bathurst Bulldogs), 3 Krystal Fyfe (West Wyalong Redbacks), 4 Mel Waterford (Bathurst Bulldogs - captain), 5 Rita Palm (Mudgee Wombats), 6 Roxy Dougall (Temora Tsukers), 7 Helen Blackmore (Mudgee Wombats), 8 Sharnah Stevens (West Wyalong Redbacks), 9 Em McDonald (Orange Emus), 10 Kenesha Stevens (West Wyalong Redbacks), 11 Courtney Auld (Bathurst Bulldogs), 12 Nicole Schneider (Bathurst Bulldogs), 13 Sarah Archer (Orange Emus), 14 Milika Tuinakauvadra (Orange Emus), 15 LillyAnn Mason-Spice (Forbes Platypi); Bench: 16 Amanda Ferguson (Orange Emus), 17 Amie Fazekas (Temora Tuskers), 18 Lou McCabe (West Wyalong Redbacks), 19 Becky Eastaway (Cowra-Canowindra), 20 Nicky Jordan (Temora Tuskers), 21 Nikki D'Aquino (Orange Emus), 22 Kate Gullifer (Bathurst Bulldogs), 23 Harriet Messner (Mudgee Wombats), 24 Jacky Lyden (Orange Emus)