The Forbes Platypi proved too good for Orange City on Saturday, the hosts coming away with a 36-5 win over the Lions at Grinsted Oval.
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“Orange City is a good side, but the (Forbes) boys are starting to click, to really gel,” the club’s Phil Prior said of the game on Monday.
The opening minutes of the game saw a lot of kicking, with City looking dominant, but the Platypi knuckled down and started to run the ball.
The Platypi forwards maintained their dominance, giving the backs room to shine.
“The good news is that our weaknesses are starting to become our strengths,” Prior said. “Everything Hare is working on at training is starting to bear fruit.”
Five-eighth Jeff Stewart was a welcome addition to the first grade side and Prior hopes the gun No.10 will be back full-time with the Platypi.
Kyle Sharpe was another stand-out for the host side, the loosehead prop getting three points from the referees.
“He’s a very, very good footballer,” Prior said. “He steadies the ship and he organises the blokes around him.”
Orange City coach Steve Hamson said his side battled, but “didn’t get any chocolates”.
“We defended for probably a large part of the game and when we did get the ball, we were that shagged from defending you look for the easy option and we’d kick it back to them with no real purpose, I guess, that was the tale of the day,” he said.
Hamson believes Forbes isn’t doing anything special at the moment with the ball – but that’s not a bad thing.
“They play simple footy and do it well, and we’re trying to play simple footy and we’re not doing it well,” he added.
The Lions now boast 10 competition points and sit in seventh on the ladder.
Hamson is confident of turning things around, with games against CSU Bathurst and Mudgee and Parkes rounding out the 2017’s opening round.
Six weeks into competition with five wins to their credit, Forbes remains in third place on the ladder with 25 points.
Emus are on top with 30 points after six wins. Bathurst have 28 points after six wins.
The Platypi’s second grade side also recorded a 12-0 win over City with a strong performance while the Forbes colts went down 27-7.
“They were unlucky but they’re a good little team,” Prior said. “Come the second half of the season I think they’ll be winning more games than they lose.”
In the weekend’s other games, a scrappy Emus defeated CSU Bathurst 40-0, Parkes suffered a huge hit at home, going down to the undefeated Bathurst Bulldogs 70-7, Roos knocked off Rhinos in the Dubbo derby 20-0 and Cowra got off the mark with a 30-17 win over Mudgee.
The Platypi are at home again this coming Saturday, hosting Cowra.
