![Marty Herbert powers towards the Raiders' defence during Sunday's draw. Picture by Renee Powell Marty Herbert powers towards the Raiders' defence during Sunday's draw. Picture by Renee Powell](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/aebc2a04-09c2-4b62-a5b0-58f6c23f39c5.jpeg/r770_705_3619_2459_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
There's little to separate the Macquarie Raiders and Forbes Magpies so far in 2023.
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That's not just because they played out a 14-all draw on Sunday, but the result did leave the two Peter McDonald Premiership rivals in almost the exactly same position heading into this weekend's general bye.
The two sides have each recorded a win, a draw and a loss from the opening three rounds and sit in a share of sixth on the ladder.
The Raiders are ahead on points differential, but again, only just.
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Macquarie has scored 88 points so far this season while defending premiers Forbes has 72. The two sides have conceded 50 and 52 points respectively, leaving them neck-and-neck with three points each at this early stage of the season.
With Dubbo CYMS (6 points) and Parkes, Nyngan and Wellington (all four points) ahead of them on the ladder there is the slightest bit of early season pressure on during what is shaping as an extremely close-fought Group 11 conference season.
On Sunday at a wet and soggy Spooner Oval, a late Harry Kemspton penalty helped secure the Raiders a share of the points.
The sides each scored one try in the first half before Raiders fullback Josh Nixon muscled over from dummyhalf to give his side the lead after the break.
Mitch Andrews, sole captain-coach at Forbes on Sunday with halfback Nick Greenhalgh injured, then injected himself into the match and his double got the Magpies' beaks in front.
It was only Kempston's late goal, from a relatively simple spot just to the left of the uprights, that changed things before full-time.
"It was a game of moments," Andrews said.
"At times we played some pretty good footy and when we did we piled on a few quick tries but a lot of the time there, I think the conditions, we sort of let them get to us a bit.
"We ... played nowhere near good enough to what we can and what we expect of each other.
"To get a draw is one point but (I'm) disappointed not to get two."
Macquarie was also without one captain-coach due to Jack Kavanagh's suspension but Alex Ronayne said the man in blue were pleased to come away with a share of the points.
"Forbes at Forbes is always hard," he said, adding the weather made things difficult for both sides.
"We'll take the draw ... we get a point and we'll take that."
Despite the mixed results to start the season, Ronayne remains content with his side and added it's far from the finished article.
Kavanagh's three-week suspension was a blow while the captain-coaches are yet to settle on a halves combination.
Kempston is locked into the halfback's role but he was partnered by Filisione Pauta in round one and then Richard Peckham the past two weeks.
Peckham could be forced into the hooker role after the general bye due to a shoulder injury suffered by regular No. 9 Kane McDermott at Forbes.
Randel Dowling has started off the bench for Macquarie in recent weeks and could be elevated to next partner Kempston if McDermott does spend time on the sideline.
"We're thereabouts," Ronayne said.
"There's a long way to go and we've still got a lot of work to do in both parts of the game.
"We're still finding our halves combination so we've still got a bit to come but we're definitely thereabouts.
"CYMS and Mudgee and Wellington, too, are where you need to be at the moment but were about there and I'm confident we can be there at the end."
Macquarie hosts Nyngan after the general bye while Forbes will travel to Wellington.
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