Tim Beach scores hat-trick in Dubbo Roos win over Bathurst Bulldogs

That was the shot fired by Tim Beach after he scored a hat-trick in the Roos' opening round win over the defending premiers, Bathurst Bulldogs, on Saturday.

Fans had to be turned away at the gate at Apex Oval due to the 500-person crowd limit but those who were in attendance were treated to an entertaining spectacle.

The Roos gained a bonus-point in the 31-19 win and the score could have been greater as the hosts split open a sluggish Bulldogs outfit on numerous occasions inside the first hour.

"We knew if we could get this win it would put us in a fantastic spot for the rest of the season," winger Beach said.

"Other teams seeing us get over the top of Bulldogs this week, I think we're a team to be worried about if you're someone else in this competition.

"We're going to be pretty deadly."

Any bonus point takes on extra significance this season, with only nine rounds to be played after the COVID-19 lockdown.

All the sounds coming out of the Roos camp during the lead-up to play was positive, with numbers booming at training and real confidence building within a side which had missed finals the past two years.

That belief showed on the field on Saturday in a dominant first half showing.

It took the hosts just three minutes to strike against the defending premiers.

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Scott Johnston, playing his 200^th game for the Dogs, juggled the ball on halfway and had it snatched by Jake Styles which led to Ned Williams diving over in the corner.

The Roos created a number of two-on-one chances but they went begging, leaving an unmarked Beach visibly frustrated on the wing.

But on 22 minutes he got his first after some sustained and patient attack inside the Dogs' 22.

It stayed 10-0 until the break but everything clicked for the Roos early in the second stanza.

Moa Kavaefiafi, one of the many new faces who impressed, went on a fantastic weaving and jigging run along the wing after the Roos went to the short side from a scrum, and after evading the defence the winger was able to put Will Archer over untouched.

Some tough defence saw the ball won back on halfway soon after, and it was shifted left to Beach who did the rest by sprinting away to score.

With the bonus point in the bag things began to drop off and Bulldogs finally started getting some time with the ball in hand.

Matt Trapp crashed over from close range to get the defending premiers on the board and then the lively Adam Plummer also crossed as ill-discipline slipped into the Roos' game.

There was still time for Beach to cross again, as he collected the ball after a break from teenage fullback Jayden Blake to complete his hat-trick before Trapp crossed again in the final moments.

"I'll have to have a word to a couple of those fellas because I think I was robbed three or four more," Beach laughed post-game.

"But it's right place at the right time for me. The credit goes to the blokes who do the work during the phase play and I'm lucky enough to be end of it.

"I'm just really happy with today's performance and really happy we beat the Bulldogs."

Johnston was still able to find some positives despite the defeat.

The Dogs side has gone through a huge amount of change since last year's premiership win and while they were clearly underdone in the opening game and made plenty of errors, the veteran number 10 has no doubt the improvement will come.

"We were very rusty ... I thought Dubbo played really well and were a lot more enthusiastic than what we were in the first half and it showed on the scoreboard," he said.

"We had a couple of young kids in there making their debut and they really stepped up and played well and it's a completely new side. It's going to take time for those combinations but I thought our scrum got stronger as the game went on but our backline was a bit disjointed."

And while it wasn't a win, the match was still a special one for the premiership winner as he brought up 200 appearances for the club.

"I'm lucky enough to have played with a lot of good footballers at Bulldogs and it's been an enjoyable time," he said.

"We're very lucky with the people we have off the field and that makes, in my opinion, Bulldogs such a special club so I'm very privileged and very honoured to get there."

Aside from Trapp and Plummer, Taumutu Afemui-Nohotima was also valiant in defeat while the only downside for the Roos on a day they reclaimed the Ken Laird Cup was a hamstring strain which forced Kavaefiafi off in the second half.