The remainder of the 2021 season was abandoned on Thursday due to the extended lockdown in regional NSW and the ongoing COVID outbreak in the state's west.

Competition general manager Peter Mitchell said at the time it wasn't an easy decision and he felt sorry for all of the clubs given how hard they had worked up to the initial lockdown announcement earlier this month.

Mitchell felt the season went "very, very well" up to that point and he was delighted by what he saw on and off the pitch in his first year as chief of the league.

"It was rewarding and challenging," he said.

"It was rewarding because everyone is so passionate about the game."

READ ALSO:

The Western Premier League returned last year after a seven-year absence and the 2021 competition built on that initial success.

After seven teams competed in the competition last year, Waratahs FC of Orange and the Mudgee Gulgong Wolves joined the party in 2021.

Waratahs, in particular, made a huge impact on the competition.

The sky blues had lit up the league at times and were still in minor premiership contention when lockdown started prior to the final round of the regular season.

The Wolves endured something of a slow start to life in the WPL and lost their first seven matches but proved they were worthy of a place during the second half of the campaign as they scored wins over Panorama FC and Lithgow while there was also draws with top three sides Orana Spurs and Dubbo FC.

Dubbo-based Spurs were one of the stories of this season as they turned from cellar dwellers last year to competition leaders when play was stopped, while they were one of many sides in the competition which played the kind of attacking football which attracted more fans this season.

It's something Mitchell is keen to see continue into next season.

While it was too early to confirm any expansion plans at this stage, the hope is more teams will become involved.

Orange CYMS dominated its local competition this year and that club has already signalled its intention to step up to the WPL in 2022.

"It's been good playing locally but I think we're ready for a step up and a renewed challenge next year," CYMS star Joe Kay said earlier this year.

That's music to WPL organisers' ears.

"It would be nice to expand the competition to a 10-team or 12-team competition so there's no byes and everyone can play each week," Mitchell said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: