Macquarie coach Dylan Hill hopes an honest and open discussion at training this week can be the catalyst for his side to find some consistency before a difficult three-week stretch.
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After this weekend’s trip to Nyngan’s Larkin Oval, the Raiders face CYMS in a derby clash before taking on a rejuvenated Wellington at Kennard Park.
It’s arguably the hardest string of matches possible in Group 11 and one which appears ominous for a Macquarie side which is coming off a frustrating loss to Westside last weekend.
But Hill hopes the fact players were able to give their opinion on how the side has been travelling during the week can help everyone get on the same page.
“We’ve won two and lost two and the positive thing is in the games we’ve lost we’ve been in it and only just lost. But it just comes down to consistent footy across the 80 minutes and that’s something we need,” Hill said of his side.
“We’ve spoken about it and we need to put it into action.
“Last night (Thursday) and on Tuesday we had a good talk and I allowed the players to have their say and get their message across. A few spoke about our performances and there’s some disappointment after such a tough pre-season.
“The message is getting across and I think we’ll see an improvement.”
While Nyngan has failed to hit the heights of last year and only won once inside the opening four rounds of 2018, Hill isn’t expecting anything than an almighty battle at Larkin Oval.
Reece Goldsmith returned for the Tigers last weekend in what was a massive boost and the Raiders coach stated there was plenty of whispers around former captain-coach Stewart Mills making an appearance for the Tigers on Saturday.
“I’ve heard some rumours they’ve got some players back but they’re always tough at home no matter who’s playing,” he said.
“They’ve got some size so our forwards need to aim up and that is something we’ve spoken about.”
There has been a lot of talking in the Raiders camp in recent times with Hill hammering home the message around consistency and discipline.
However, he said there’s “only so much” a coaching staff can do and he’s keen to see his players respond on the field.
“Obviously we’ve got a tough few weeks with Nyngan, CYMS and then Wellington away so it’s difficult,” he said.
“It’s a challenge for our boys and it would be ideal to get a couple of wins.”
Both sides head into round five on the back of losses after Nyngan suffered a 28-12 defeat at the hands of the Parkes Spacemen last weekend.
The action at Nyngan starts with league tag at 11am.