Dubbo Macquarie coach Steve McLellan will anxiously await results of a scan on the hamstring of halfback Josh Merritt after the star number seven was injured during his side's 30-26 triumph over Nyngan at Caltex Park yesterday.

Merritt had to be helped from the field during the second half and was seen leaving the ground with his right leg on ice, an unfavourable sign a fortnight out from the Group 11 semi-finals.

Despite losing their key playmaker, the Raiders rallied in a match where the lead changed hands six times but was ultimately decided by a try 22 minutes from full-time.

"We made things hard for ourselves again today but to the boys' credit they toughed it out and got the result," McLellan said.

"The positive for us is we've ensured we'll finish top three and have two bites in the semi-finals but we have a few things to work on as well.

"I thought our discipline let us down again today, and then there is the injury to Josh but we have a bye next week so we have a bit of time to assess things before we play Parkes in the last round."

Nyngan started the match well, piling on two tries in the opening 15 minutes to open up an early 10-0 break.

But Macquarie wasted no times in reeling in that deficit, with Tom Magann latching on to a Merritt chip to open his side's account before Jeremy Smith snuck over from dummy half to put the Raiders in front 12-10.

That margin lasted only four minutes before Kurt Whaley crossed for Nyngan but by half-time the hosts had established a 24-16 lead after tries to the late-arriving Kyle Cochrane and Etuate Gusuivalu, who was a late inclusion in the side.

In a replica of the first half Nyngan again came out strongly with two tries in the opening 15 minutes helping them to a 26-24 lead before Smith again burrowed over in the 58th minute to push Macquarie's buffer to 30-26.

Despite a string of penalties and a chance in the dying seconds, the Tigers couldn't cross for the final try as they slipped from fourth to fifth on the ladder and Macquarie maintained their spot in third.

Nyngan coaching co-ordinator Rod Reddy didn't hold back after the match, declaring his side needed to improve in the next fortnight otherwise their finals campaign would be short-lived.

"The effort was there from the boys and it was five tries each but we just hurt ourselves with silly mistakes," Reddy said.

"We've got a spot in the finals but if we don't improve a lot on the way we've been playing we'll be fodder for any of the other sides.

"Our fitness isn't where we'd like it to be and next week's game against Westside is a chance for us to work on a lot of things. We have to win it and hopefully win it well to get a bit of confidence back."

o DUBBO MACQUARIE 30 (Jeremy Smith 2, Tom Magann, Kyle Cochrane, Etuate Gusuivalu tries; Mason Williams 5 goals) def NYNGAN TIGERS 26 (Jone Koroi, Derek Knight, Kurt Whaley, Craig Ticehurst, Ryan Rogers tries; Les Boney 3 goals)