Rugby league is back and the first round of the Peter McDonald Premiership delivered in a big way.
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We had a huge amount of points, plenty of drama, send-offs and an opening day win for last year's wooden-spooners.
Here's some of the highlights from the weekend.
![The Macquarie Raiders celebrate a try during the win over Orange CYMS. Picture by Riley Krause The Macquarie Raiders celebrate a try during the win over Orange CYMS. Picture by Riley Krause](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/9a2b35c6-e30b-4010-9ec0-57b5be650ca5.jpeg/r0_165_8256_4825_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
STARTING WITH A BANG
Round one. Two send-offs.
It appears there were a few players a little too eager to get back on the field this season.
Nyngan's Clinton Edwards could face a stint on the sideline after a reported elbow to the face of Jackson Brien left the St Pat's fullback bloody-faced and in la-la land on Saturday.
The ugly incident occurred late on in the match at Jack Arrow Sporting Complex and marred an otherwise top contest which the hosts won by just one point.
At Parkes on Sunday, former Spacemen Alex Prout got one back on his old team (literally) when he threw an alleged punch inside the first 15 minutes of the match.
![Kyjuan Crawford pictured scoring one of Dubbo CYMS' 11 tries on Sunday. Picture by Belinda Soole Kyjuan Crawford pictured scoring one of Dubbo CYMS' 11 tries on Sunday. Picture by Belinda Soole](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/01ee125a-3543-443f-9d07-47db4551a7be.png/r0_0_1715_979_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Prout, now at Orange Hawks, was given his marching orders and it put his side firmly on the back foot.
Hawks fought on bravely and didn't lose too many admirers while a man down but Parkes put the foot down in the second half and ran out comfortable winners.
Keep an eye out for our report from the judiciary later this week.
MESSAGE COMES BACK TO BITE BETTS
As Bathurst Panthers warmed up at Apex Oval on Sunday, captain-coach Jake Betts was heard to tell his players the match wouldn't be won until the 79th minute.
It's a fair statement given his side was playing Dubbo CYMS, a relentless force who are almost always still playing at 100 per cent in the dying stages of any game.
However, those words from Betts proved to be very true, just not in the way he meant.
![Bathurst Panthers were out-muscled and outplayed by Dubbo CYMS on Sunday. Picture by Belinda Soole Bathurst Panthers were out-muscled and outplayed by Dubbo CYMS on Sunday. Picture by Belinda Soole](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/02f53993-6b32-4398-9b1d-ea8165817ca3.jpg/r0_368_3600_2400_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
If any team leads by 60 points in a match the mercy rule comes into effect, as per NSW Rugby League rules.
Betts labelled the performance "embarrassing" and added "other clubs will be looking at us and laughing and rightfully so."
It wasn't a great look for a club which was forced to deal with a player exodus during the off-season.
GROUP 11's CONCERNS REMAIN
Those on the Group 11 board loving having a shot at Group 10.
The rivalry between the two remains and it runs deeper than what happens on the field.
One of the biggest complaints the Group 11 board and clubs had last season related to how poor the crowds were when they hosted Group 10 clubs in crossover rounds.
Many clubs described it as their poorest crowds in years due to the little travelling support from Group 10 sides.
On Sunday, the crowd at Dubbo's Apex Oval was definitely lower than what you would expect in round one. The trek from Bathurst to Dubbo is a long one but, outside one passionate pocket of fans, there wasn't a huge presence from Panthers.
The crowd at Wellington for the match against Lithgow didn't blow anyone either but the crowds at both Bathurst and Orange (for the St Pat's-Nyngan and Orange CYMS-Macquarie) games were reported to be healthy.
No doubt Group 11 will say it's because they have the better travelling fans. Cue outrage.
BUCKLE UP FOR ROUND TWO
With all that happened this weekend it's easy to forget the Mudgee Dragons also defeated defending premiers Forbes in their round one match.
That game was played a couple of weeks ago - brought forward to act as the curtain-raiser for the Manly-Newcastle NRL game at Glen Willow - and Mudgee proved why they're being labelled by most as competition favourites.
Mudgee's forward pack is a real area of strength but at Orange on Sunday we saw the Macquarie Raiders back-up captain-coach Jack Kavanagh's pre-game statement.
"We've got a very strong, fast and mobile forward pack. In my opinion, we have got the best forward pack in the comp," he fired.
The Raiders' forwards set the platform early on Sunday as they bashed Orange CYMS at Wade Park.
That set the tone and Macquarie went on to score a big 40-point win away from home.
The match-up alone between Western forwards Clay Priest and Kavanagh - two of the more fiery players in the competition - will be worth the price of admission alone at Apex Oval next Sunday.
UNFAMILIAR FEELING FOR ORANGE CYMS
It was the talk all through pre-season. Orange CYMS is in crisis.
There were whispers at one point the proud club would struggle to field a first grade side in 2023 and the one which ran out on Sunday was near unrecognisable to the one which made the PMP semi-finals just last season.
It looks like a long season ahead for those in green and gold, who struggled to deal with the sheer size and power of Macquarie on Sunday.
Fitness was also a concern for CYMS as the Raiders raced in four late tries.
Given Lithgow also lost on Sunday to 2022 wooden spooners Wellington, it might be a long winter for those at the bottom of the Group 10 conference.
ROUND 1 RESULTS
Parkes Spacemen 40 defeated Orange Hawks 14
Macquarie Raiders 52 defeated Orange CYMS 12
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