After years of seeing his Forbes Magpies begin the competition slowly and then have to play sudden death almost every week from the midway point of the year, the experienced coach wanted a change this season.

The old way of things had worked, Forbes won two premierships in the past five years, but with the 2021 competition shaping as one of the most even in some time he knew beginning well could be crucial.

But after four games this season the Magpies sit outside the top five without a win to their name.

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Greenhalgh's side has three losses and a draw and the frustration showed at times on the field in the side's most recent match, a 32-16 loss to Macquarie on Sunday.

"We're doing everything right at training and everything is looking really, really good but we can't put it on the paddock at the moment," Greenhalgh said.

"That's frustrating and you can see it in the players.

"It's a young team but we needs to be better across the park. Our leaders need to lead and we know we've got a side that can be really, really competitive and if we get to semis it's a different ball game."

The Magpies pushed a pass or offload that wasn't there at times during the weekend's loss to the Raiders and couldn't break their way through the defence at times despite sustained periods of possession.

Fullback Mitch Andrews threw everything at the opposition throughout the 80 minutes and was a standout in a beaten while halfback and captain Nic Greenhalgh summed up his team's effort as most of what he threw at the Raiders fell short.

The coach admitted after the loss if the Magpies are to play finals this year it again may have to be from fourth of fifth spot on the ladder.

Dubbo CYMS has shot clear at the top of the ladder after scoring four resounding wins in the opening four rounds while Macquarie also has three wins to its name.

Forbes is still in touch with the top sides and only sits three points off the third-placed Wellington currently ahead of next weekend's road trip to take on the only other winless side in the competition, Narromine.

"I think it (first win) could change us," Greenhalgh said.

"In the week off last week we refreshed and we were really confident going into today's game but we came up short."

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