Illawarra stamped itself as one to watch at the NSW Junior Rugby Union State Championships under 13s carnival early on day one of the carnival at Dubbo.
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After a strong 26-0 win over Sydney University to open the championships on Saturday morning, Illawarra returned to Apex Oval that afternoon and scored a commanding 43-7 win over a gallant Central West side.
Central West, featuring Dubbo Junior Rugby Club players Hugh McMullen, Kobi Kelleher and Lachlan Pearce, was outsized and outmatched at Apex Oval and there was plenty of sore bodies after the contest.
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The victory was a pleasing start to the carnival for Illawarra coach Brendan Fannin, particularly after such a disrupted build-up.
"What you can't see here is that in the Illawarra we've had washout after washout because of the weather so getting the boys on the field and seeing them have a go is a great thing," he said.
"We've got a mixture of some returning players and some new players and it's great to see them all blending in.
"They're all mates off the field and they have a great time together."
While that unity is key for Illawarra, the presence of some standout individuals also made a huge difference against Central West.
Barnstorming prop Ephrium Tone scored a double in the win and was a handful in attack and defence throughout the match while Asher Chapman, Zephaniah Finau and Jerome Cosgrove also impressed.
After shooting out to a 10-0 early, Illawarra were trapped in an arm wrestle with the hosts midway through the first half and Central West made the most of sustained possession and scored through flyhalf Bailey Fehon of Mudgee.
But from there on it was all about Illawarra.
With a powerful forward pack setting the tone, the visitors continually got on the front foot and their set-piece quality was also key to the success.
"It takes more than those talented kids. It takes a team of 23," Fannin said post-game.
"It's a five or six-hour trip to Dubbo so it's a big commitment. They're going well and it's making sure we all complement each other.
"We know what some of the guys' strengths are and we know how to play with them to support that. It's been really good.
"You never know what to expect at these carnivals. Teams change and there's new players and they're a year older and going through growth spurts so you just do the best you can with them."
For Central West, the bruising loss was a painful one but the performances of Fehon, Orange Emus winger Cooper Martin and Wellington's Seth Whiteman were positives.
This year marks the second successive season Dubbo has hosted the under 13 championships.
Matches continue on Sunday before the finals on Monday and the grand final will be at 1.45pm that afternoon at Apex Oval.