Firstly, and painfully, the majority of Orange’s tweenie population will begin wearing their slippers outside.

And secondly, the footy is back.

The Group 10 season officially kicks off on Sunday at Wade Park when CYMS and Hawks do battle for opening round bragging rights in 2015.

Sports journalist Nick McGrath has spent the off-season dissecting this year’s draw and has identified the five games you just can’t miss this winter.

As rugby league-loving gazillionaire John Singleton once said: “Anyone who does not watch rugby league is not a real person.”

We agree, John.

ROUND ONE: Orange Hawks v Orange CYMS at Wade Park.

IN the corresponding game in 2014, CYMS defeated Hawks 42-24 to back-up the grand final won over the two blues the year before.

But there is a footnote on the victory, a rather hairy one.

Former NRL gun Matt King led the green and golds to victory, a match Hawks were in deep into the second half only for the class of CYMS’ biggest recruit to shine through in the round one victory.

This time, though, the playing field will be even.

A new look Hawks will do battle with a equally new-look CYMS, and which way the penny drops is anyone’s guess at this stage in the season.

One thing, however, is guaranteed: there’s little love lost between these two sides, which always makes for a classic encounter.

ROUND THREE: Bathurst Panthers v Bathurst St Pat’s Carrington Park.

FEW teams have recruited as well as the men in black this season - Todd Barrow as captain-coach, Oberon prop Greg Behan, utility back Sandon Gibbs-O’Neill and the prodigiously talented Jeremy Gordon.

Few teams have enjoyed as much success as St Pat’s have in the last 18 months, either - a stellar Group 10 premiership and a successful Bathurst Knockout title raid.

This clash is all about the ones that have and the ones that want.

And it’ll be the ones that want that stun.

St Pat’s have had a massive turn over of personnel leading into the 2015 season, with as many as eight players from the team that claimed the 2014 crown over Cowra now not playing in blue and white this winter.

Round three games certainly don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but anyone in Bathurst will tell you neither one of these two sides will be willing to give the other an inch.

Last year’s duels were close - even if the second turned out to be a 52-32 try-fest - and this one should be a humdinger too.

ROUND SEVEN: Mudgee Dragons v Bathurst St Pat’s at Glen Willow.

FOR the Dragons, season 2014 will always be the one that got away.

Mudgee didn’t make the grand final, granted, but there can be little doubt the Dragons were the best team throughout last year’s regular competition, with no team and no pack able to put an end to the ruthless barrage Jack Afamasaga led for most of the last winter.

The only thing that could was injury.

And Afamasaga’s broken leg careered Mudgee’s title bid.

Mudgee’s leader is now fit, and a fit Afamasaga will mean a firing Mudgee - there’s no two ways about it.

Add to that, St Pat’s won last year’s crown and, along the way, was the side to end Mudgee’s campaign, albeit on the bell thanks to a successful sideline conversion from Garry Reilly in the Group 10 preliminary final at the beginning of September.

Make no mistake about it, Mudgee will be gunning to right the wrongs of 2014, starting with the defending premiers.

ROUND 15: Cowra Magpies v Bathurst St Pat’s at Sid Kallas Oval.

BY now, being just three rounds away from the post-season, St Pat’s will be used to each team playing at another level in a bid to knock off the defending premiers.

That’s just a given.

But few teams will want to knock them off like the Magpies in Cowra.

The scene of last year’s grand final where the blue and whites triumphantly lifted the Group 10 premiership trophy, the loss stung Cowra’s best hope of a premiership in almost 20 years.

It still stings today.

And nothing will put an ease to the pain like retribution at Sid Kallas Oval.

Even if fortune doesn’t favour the Maggies this season and Cowra slides back down the ladder, as many punters believe, the calls of swoop will be louder than ever when the home side tackles the defending premiers in this July contest.

ROUND 18: Lithgow Workies v Blayney Bears at Tony Luchetti Sportsground.

THERE’S few harder trips in Group 10 than the commute to Lithgow to play Workies.

Blayney, however, did better than most in 2014.

Despite Lithgow being a shadow of the side that won the 2012 title, the Bears stunned the Tony Luchetti faithful to lead Workies before eventually slipping to a 28-26 loss - they did however go on to win their first game in 14 years the following week - in a cracking game at the foot of the mountains.

Both teams will be infinitely better this season too.

Adding to an already quality rivalry, Jono Van Veen and Brendon Van Veen have returned for the Lithgow club, while Lewis Stanley and Will Ingram add plenty of quality to the Blayney line-up.

If good judges are correct, both teams will surge up the ladder in 2015, and come the final round of the season winning this game could be the difference between a spot in the semis and watching on from the stands - bring it on.