Ferguson not getting rattled
Blake Ferguson was always going to be targeted by opposition fans this year after returning to the Wellington Cowboys.
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The former NRL star was certainly copping it from the Macquarie faithful at Kennard Park on Saturday night but he had the last laugh.
The Cowboys won the match on full-time courtesy of a Tyrone Tattersall try, but Ferguson's goal-kicking was key in the win.
It may have been his running game which everyone expected to dominate back at home, but his goal-kicking has quickly become crucial.
After kicking four-from-four against both Forbes and Parkes, Fergo maintained his 100 per cent record by nailing all five against the Raiders,
Two of the conversions were from right on the sideline and went in off the post as Raiders fans jeered and honked car horns. Given the match finished 30-26, both of those kicks were crucial.
Washing down a win
Dubbo CYMS players and supporters had plenty of reason to be cheering on Sunday after a dominant win over Nyngan, but there were still a few complaints.
None of them related to what happened on the field but instead it was about the celebratory beers.
CYMS president Mick Fraser teamed up with Dubbo brewery Devils Hollow to produce a special CYMS beer to celebrate the club's 75th anniversary.
While the 'Lure Lager' (it catches all good fish) is a great idea and a top memento given there's CYMS history printed on the can as well as all the club's premiership wins, more than a few in the sheds post-game were stating the taste wasn't for them.
Sometimes you can't have it all.
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Finals picture changes again
Just when you start to think you've got an idea what this season looks like, results like the weekend's pop up.
The Group 10 pool was looking pretty locked in as the Mudgee Dragons started to move clear of the pack while Bathurst St Pat's, Orange Hawks and Bathurst Panthers had the other top four spots wrapped up.
But on Sunday the Dragons were thumped by St Pat's while Panthers only just scraped past a gallant Lithgow side.
Hawks, meanwhile, scored what would have to be one of their biggest Orange derby wins in some time on Saturday to make it three victories in the past four rounds. Don't rule them out from making more of a charge up the ladder.
Across in Group 11, what looked like an extremely even pool suddenly has a few gaps.
Dubbo CYMS is a win clear of Wellington and Parkes - the latter does have a game in hand - while Macquarie still has one win and is in danger of falling off the pace.
Next weekend features Pat's v Hawks, Mudgee v Panthers, Macquarie v Parkes, Forbes v Dubbo CYMS so prepare for things to change again.
The kids are alright
Speaking of St Pat's, they made the rest of the competition sit up and take notice on Sunday when they handed the Mudgee Dragons their first loss of the season.
A 42-10 win at Mudgee is a huge result for any club and it's the kind of performance some were waiting for after Pat's completed an impressive off-season recruitment drive.
While many would expect star halves Noah Griffiths and Willie Wright or captain-coach Zac Merritt to be the main talking point, it was instead a number of Pat's young guns who caught the eye.
A number of players from last year's under 18s side which reached the Tom Nelson Premiership grand final stood tall at Mudgee.
A late withdrawal meant back-rower Ryan Small started and he impressed on Wright's edge while Cooper Earsman played his best game of the season and Trae Fitzpatrick was also strong.
While there's plenty of big names at Pat's, the club's junior program could have the biggest say in its premiership hopes this season.
Gentleman's agreement in doubt
There's been a long-standing agreement within Group 11 clubs that they wouldn't cite opposition players and refer them to the judiciary post-game.
The theory is, the referee is the one who puts players on report and the clubs maintain a strong relationship by leaving it at that and not reviewing footage post-game and trying to get others in some trouble.
However, that could be in doubt after Macquarie captain-coach Jack Kavanagh was hit with a four-week ban on Friday night.
An alleged high shot occurred in the Dubbo derby clash with CYMS a week prior, but Kavanagh wasn't put on report at the time.
There's confusion in the Macquarie camp about how it came about and the fallout from any all-Group 11 contests in the coming weeks could be worth keeping an eye on.
Round 6
Orange Hawks 40 defeated Orange CYMS 4
Wellington Cowboys 30 defeated Macquarie Raiders 26
Dubbo CYMS 54 defeated Nyngan Tigers 6
Bathurst Panthers 24 defeated Lithgow Workies Wolves 22
Bathurst St Pat's 42 defeated Mudgee Dragons 10
Parkes Spacemen, Forbes Magpies: Bye
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
