Jim Kelly expects the Macquarie Raiders to improve week by week after their effortless 56-28 victory over Narromine yesterday, despite playing with only 12 men for all but 15 minutes of the Group 11 first-round clash.
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The Raiders led 34-12 and then did all they had to do to gain the maximum points after lock Stuart Brazel was sent off for a swinging arm on Narromine centre Wayne Piper.
Piper looked to be in a lot of strife when assisted from the field and it wasn't until well into the second half that he got back into the game, and celebrated with a good try.
Brazel will face the judiciary this week along with fellow first grade forwards Wes Maas from CYMS and Manildra's Peter Townsend.
More importantly, for Jim Kelly's comeback season as first grade coach, it was a win, but "there's more untapped improvement".
"You look back on the game and we scored three tries in the first bit and then had a player sent off, so you have to be pleased for the effort they all put in playing with 12 on the field," he said.
"But there were probably a lot more tries left there as well.
"Rarely did we play out our full six tackles and I lost count of the number of passes that went to ground.
"Most of them need not have been passed. Better ball security would have been preferred and just waiting that little bit longer for things to happen.
"You must remember, though, that we are in a rebuilding phase and it will take some time for the team to gel. There is a lot of trying ability in the team but it will take time."
Narromine captain-coach Phil Carney and his players tried hard but they couldn't put a stop to the attacking Raiders generated by hooker Darren Jackson, captain Peter Boon at five-eighth and half Hale Gordon.
Carney tried hard as did centre Anthony McBride, halves Troy Yates and Mick Burns along with second-rower Mitchell Cale.
The Raiders backed up the breaks and tries did come, but many went begging when the final passes hit the turf.
In the forwards Luke O'Connor has fitted back into the scrum well and didn't shirk the tough work while a five-year absence from the game by Trent Giddings has failed to dim his enthusiasm.
He is growing in confidence each week and will only get better.
Rugby convert forward Marty Brazil was also having a good game until he came off with an arm injury and Luke Manning showed some tremendous ball skills.
It was a good 80 minutes for Macquarie's Bourke-based duo, Darren Jackson and centre Andrew Johnson, who drive down each week to play. Both scored two tries and were involved throughout the game.
A good sign also for the Raiders was that Hale Gordon chipped in with the goal-kicking duties and landed his first seven attempts before missing one from out wide.
DUBBO MACQUARIE 56 (Darren Jackson 2, Andrew Johnson 2, Peter Boon 2, Will Middleton jnr, Trent Giddings, Keith Toomey, Matt Boney tries, Hale Gordon 7, Johnson goals) def NARROMINE 28 (Gordon Sunderland, Mick Burns, Shane Konz, Wayne Piper, Mick Louie tries, Burns 4 goals).
