Dubbo Rhinos captain Matt Neill has labelled next weekend's clash with Mudgee a must win game after a "heart-breaker" of a loss at Bathurst on Saturday.
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Another slow start saw the Rhinos trail CSU 21-0 early in the New Holland Agriculture Cup round three clash, but the visitors stormed home in the second half at University Oval.
Three second half tries got the visitors within touching distance but in the end two missed conversions proved key in a 28-24 defeat.
The sides scored four tries each but CSU talisman Jack Keppell nailed each of his attempts with the boot.
"It was a real heart-breaker. A couple of conversions were the difference and Jack Keppell doesn't miss," Neill said.
"CSU is a very good side so to score three tries to one in the second half and have the majority of the possession, it was the first game where I've been happy with the result.
"I wasn't stoked, but happy with how we played."
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While pleased his under-strength side started to show its potential, Neill knows the Rhinos need to start scoring wins.
The Dubbo outfit is the only team in the competition without a victory to its name after three rounds, so building on the promising showing against the unbeaten students is vital.
"We need to win against Mudgee," Neill said, looking to next Saturday.
"We showed we can be competitive and be very good so we need to get a few wins and then start the second round well.
"It was a really good second half effort (on Saturday) and I'm proud of the way the boys played. If we play like that and maintain it we'll win more than we lose."
The Rhinos, missing a stack of players away with family commitments during school holidays and others celebrating the arrival of recent babies, were far from their best early on Saturday.
Harrison Sear, Regan Hughes, and Nick Greenberg all scored inside the first half hour to put the hosts in complete command.
The Rhinos responded twice early in the second stanza but Keppell then crossed to put his side up by 14 with just over half an hour remaining.
The visitors lifted again with two tries, prop Brett Austin grabbing his second, but the two conversions were waved away.
The hosts then kept the Rhinos at bay in the final ten minutes to grab a third successive victory.
"We're starting to find what we're capable of," Neill added.
- CSU BATHURST 28 (Harrison Sear, Regan Hughes, Nick Greenberg, Jack Keppel tries; Keppel 4 conversions) def DUBBO RHINOS 24 (Brett Austin 2, Andrew Seton, Rodney Jackson tries; Chris Sellings 2 conversions)
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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.
