What a difference a week can make hey.

Last week, Warren were well on their way to the minor premiership after a nail-biting win over the then competition-leading Bogan Bulls.

But in the final game of the season, it was the Bre-Bourke Barbarians who pulled off the upset of the year, drawing 10 all with the Pumas to put their minor premiership hopes to bed.

As a result, defending premiers Walgett walk away as this year's minor premiers, beating out second-placed Nyngan by just a bonus point.

A great result for the Western Plain zone for their innaugural Mental Health Round, which saw all teams don a green stripe across their usual jerseys.

A credit to how tight it has been at the top end of town, the top three are separated by only three points with the bonus point system making a big impact in 2025 (Walgett 39, Nyngan 38, Warren 37).

But Bre-Bourke's efforts on Saturday make this year's finals series all the more interesting, with all four teams having the ability to win (or draw at least), making it a genuine four-horse race for the Elders First Grade Shield.

So, in the lead-up to the finals series, let's break down each side and their chances come August.

Walgett Rams

What more is there to say about the defending premiers?

After adding another minor premiership to the collection following a massive 52-5 win in Coonamble on Saturday, you'd be hard pressed to find a club that you'd pick over them to win it all.

Premierships in 2022 and 2024, and a close runner-up in 2023, their core group knows not only how to get to the final day of the year, but has the experience and ability to get the job done too.

Close losses away to Nyngan (12-23 in Round 1) and at home versus Warren (20-24 in Round 3) show that they're not unbeatable, but it’s been a different story in the back end of the year.

After those two losses, they’ve quietly chipped away at every team in front of them, rattling off seven straight wins en route to a shock minor premiership.

Their backline is comfortably the best in the competition, as it has for many years now, and their boys up the middle have been putting in some serious work in recent weeks.

Their minor premiership also means Walgett will not only host their major semifinal on August 9, but the following game as well, whether that be the preliminary final or the grand final itself.

Be wary of Walgett, there will be no surprises if they come out on top on grand final day.

Bogan Bulls

After last year's Cinderella run to last year's grand final, the Bogan Bulls have continued their run of success into 2025.

A close loss to Warren in round nine ruined any minor premiership chances, but if you ask any Bogan Bull about how it's all played out coming into week one of finals, I doubt they’d be unhappy.

They face Walgett in the major semi-final for a chance to avenge their devastating 38-44 extra-time loss in last year's grand final at the scene of the crime in Walgett.

It's been over ten years since their last shield in 2014, and this team has all the tools at their disposal - can they get the job done?

Their forward pack is comfortably the best in the competition, and their backline isn't exactly to be trifled with either.

While they don’t have the recent success of a Walgett or Warren to rely on, there is no easy win against this team come finals.

Bet against them at your peril; nothing is more dangerous than an angry bull.

Warren Pumas

Which Warren will we get come finals?

Before last week's outlier against Bre-Bourke, all signs pointed towards a repeat of that memorable 2023 season, which saw them take down Walgett in a famous grand final victory.

However, the 10-all draw against Bre-Bourke has shades of the squad that copped back-to-back finals losses in 2024.

Now that’s not to write off Warren in the slightest, on their day they’ve beaten both Nyngan and Walgett this year, with the pressure on as well, mind you.

If they're allowed to control the tempo of the game, you won't beat them.

Their ability to grind teams down is their strength, and a style of football that is very suited to finals pressure and pace.

However, they will have to do it the hard way this year; they will have to go three wins on the trot to win the shield this year, and hosting just the one home game.

It'll be tough, but if any club can grind out a few tough wins with their backs against the wall, it'll be the Pumas.

Brewarrina-Bourke Barbarians

The wildcard.

If you talked to me a week ago about the Barbarians' chances come August, I would've told you they were just making up the numbers.

But their draw against Warren last Saturday has bumped up their stocks massively.

All reports from that game tell the story of a side that pushed Warren to the brink of defeat, not of a team that just got lucky off the back of a Puma capitulation.

The question now is whether they can keep it rolling through finals.

It'll be a herculean effort to win the grand final, and will have the hardest road of them all - travelling to every game they might play in August.

The odds are still stacked against them, they are yet to beat a side not named Coonamble or Gulargambone in 2025, but you just never know do you.

Momentum is a crazy thing if you get a hold of it, and maybe this team can capture lightning in a bottle and pull of the Cinderella story.

Finals Fixtures:

Minor Semifinal:

Warren Pumas (3) vs Bre-Bourke Barbarians (4) at Victoria Park, Warren on 2 August

Major Semifinal:

Walgett Rams (1) vs Nyngan Bogan Bulls (2) at Algy Friend Oval, Walgett on 9 August.

Western Plains Rugby Union Round 10 Results:

Walgett 52 defeated Coonamble 5

Nyngan 56 defeated Gulargambone 0

Warren 10 draw Bre-Bourke 10

Ladder following Round 10:

1. Walgett Rams: 8 wins, 2 losses, +240 f/a, 39 points
2. Nyngan Bogan Bulls: 8 wins, 2 losses, +223 f/a, 38 points
3. Warren Pumas: 7 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, +191 f/a, 37 points
4. Bre-Bourke Barbarians: 4 wins, 1 draw, 5 losses, -37 f/a, 23 points
5. Coonamble Rams: 1 win, 9 losses, -297 f/a, 7 points
6. Gulargambone Rugby: 1 win, 9 losses, -320, 5 points