One of the best moments for Dubbo Rhinos captain Brett Austin following last week’s breakthrough win was seeing the newest members of the club getting to take part in the team song.
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It took 11 rounds but the Rhinos finally scored their first Blowes Clothing Cup win since 2012 last weekend when they defeated the Parkes Boars 13-5 and Austin said there was real excitement around the club following the final whistle.
“It was unreal and there’s a lot of guys who are new to the club so it was great they got the chance to hear the song and be part of it,” he said.
“It was a major step in the right direction and this week we have a good chance to have a crack at going back-to-back.”
This weekend the Rhinos play host to CSU Bathurst, the side they started their season against.
Last time the two sides met the Rhinos hadn’t taken on a Blowes side in more than three years.
“We weren’t terrible last time we played them and now I think we have the side to roll them,” Austin said.
There is no doubt the Rhinos have improved during the 2016 season.
After a number of heavy losses, which Austin desribed as “blowouts”, in the early part of the season the side was extremely competitive against Narromine and Mudgee before making the trip to Parkes.
“We knew it (a win) wasn’t far away,” Austin said.
“There had been a few blowouts but we were confident once we found those 15 first graders each week.
“We’ve had a lot of blokes in and out but we’ve been happy with the forward pack and we all think it’s fairly strong.”
The backline continues to be a work in progress.
Wingers Adam Quill and James Vaughan are not only new to the Rhinos, they’re new to rugby.
Both soccer players before this season, the duo have been learning on the goal and Austin said while there is still work to be done, he and the club are pleased with the development.
The backline received a major boost last week when arguably the side’s player of the season, Sam McLeod, switched from Number 8 to inside centre.
“He killed it there and he moved back to the forwards in the second half and we noticed how much the backline missed him then,” Austin said.
Austin also credited coaches Dave Stuart and Darren Taylor with much of the success.
Stuart was unfortunately absent on the weekend but has been the brains behind much of the Rhinos play in 2016 while Austin described Taylor as “the ultimate man manager” who gets the most out of the team each week.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
