Weekend Wrap | What you may have missed during Peter McDonald Premiership's round three

After helping the Wests Tigers to a shock NRL win over the Penrith Panthers - despite being sin-binned - at Bathurst on Saturday night, the Wellington junior was back in his home region on Sunday and watched the Cowboys take on Dubbo CYMS at Apex Oval.

Despite a Cowboys defeat, there's no doubt Brent would have been a proud spectator as his brother Brock scored a double in the match.

There was also no special treatment for the NRL star as Brent sat with family among the regular punters in the stands and he was also seen spending plenty of time chatting to fans and posing for photos with kids. It was a great sight.

Visiting teams to Orange will have to contend with more than just Hawks or CYMS in 2023.

Persistent rain across the city over the weekend, and eight games of footy at the ground, has meant the Wade Park pitch could be at an all-time low in terms of bogginess - you'd lose a penetrometer in it. It's a heavy 100.

Such was the condition of the heart of Wade Park on Sunday, it turned the Hawks-Lithgow clash into a genuine slug fest.

Hawks ran out 14-0 winners, and you could say probably handled the conditions the better of the two.

Although Ben French's two conversion attempts from right in front (of which both missed) say otherwise. Couple of the great stinkers.

Anyway, let's get that new stadium at Orange built. Wade Park isn't fit for footy in 2023.

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As the Wellington Cowboys trudged off Apex Oval on Sunday after a 32-14 loss to Dubbo CYMS, one fan of those in maroon said bad luck to captain-coach Justin Toomey-White and added fitness proved the difference late on.

This annoyed Toomey-White a great deal and it shows how far the club has come in a short space of time.

The Cowboys are sick of hearing about last year's wooden spoon and are firmly focused on building into the future.

They don't want to hear excuses and you gather Toomey-White would have preferred a fan to say you threw away a possible win rather than you weren't a match for the Fishies.

It wasn't fitness which cost the Cowboys at all, both sides had players cramping up late on and it was only some poor errors and the loss of influential halfback Rylee Blackhall to a mouth which really cost the Cowboys.

Blackhall ended up at Dubbo Hospital getting a check over and the Cowboys will be hoping the young gun can be back after next weekend's general bye.

Elizabeth MacGregor doesn't need any more hype - we've already discussed her at length - but her performances continue to amaze.

Some may have thought Parkes' league tag side would suffer without star India Draper following her shock move to Forbes but the teenage MacGregor - in her first year of senior footy - has stepped in with aplomb.

A stunning four-try effort in Sunday's win over Nyngan moved the Parkes Spacecats young gun to top of the western try-scorers list and it wouldn't be surprising to see her stay there.

Premiership-winning Parkes coach Michael Dumesny has previously said she could be the most talented player he's worked with and the early signs are very exciting.

Jot her name down in your little black book.

It's nothing new for a referee to have a busy weekend, but spare a thought for Simon Hartas.

The leading referee in Group 11 controlled two very different matches on the weekend.

On Saturday, he was home at Narromine in the middle of the hugely successful Legends of League match which featured greats of the game like Cliffy Lyons, Ronny Gibbs, David Peachey, John Hopoate and many others take on some legends from the Jets.

Despite the rain, a big crowd was on hand for what was a top night out and a match which definitely had a focus on fun.

Things were a little on different on Sunday, when Hartas had the whistle during a sometimes-fiery meeting between Dubbo CYMS and Wellington.

There were a few scuffles but Hartas did a fine job, giving the captains a talking to and opting not to send anyone to the sin-bin. Given the entertaining nature of the game, it was what it deserved.

Mudgee Dragons 34 def Orange CYMS 18

Bathurst Panthers 28 def Bathurst St Pat's 20

Dubbo CYMS 32 def Wellington Cowboys 14

Nyngan Tigers 32 def Parkes Spacemen 28

Forbes Magpies 14 drew with Macquarie Raiders 14

Orange Hawks 14 def Lithgow Workies Wolves 0

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