Hawks are swooping at the right time
Orange Hawks, flying under the radar?
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Saturday's tough victory at Lithgow made it five straight wins for Shane Rodney's team and that, combined with a Bathurst St Pat's derby loss on Sunday, means Hawks are now second in the Group 10 pool behind Mudgee.
Their recent run has included wins over Wellington - who beat Group 11 leaders Dubbo CYMS on Sunday - and Bathurst Panthers so it's something worth noting.
The attack is also starting to click, after the side failed to reach 20 points in each of its first five games this season.
Interestingly, all six Group 11 teams have scored more points than Hawks this season, as have Mudgee and St Pat's.
There's a general bye for Group 10 next weekend while Hawks meet Mudgee and St Pat's in their final three games. All year it's been about Mudgee in the Group 10 pool, but Hawks are starting to play their best footy when it matters.
When a win can still be painful
The Macquarie Raiders were hugely satisfied after scoring a victory in what they described as a "must win" game on Sunday, but that feeling was tempered slightly soon after full-time.
Macquarie staff gave the players a moment to enjoy the win over Forbes before letting them know Wellington and Nyngan, the two teams directly above them on the ladder, had both scored surprise wins over Group 11's top two of Dubbo CYMS and Parkes.
Some at Macquarie admitted to doing some maths prior to the game and had hopefully pencilled in wins for CYMS and the Spacemen, but the results change the intriguing Group 11 finals race picture yet again.
The Raiders could go fourth win a win at Nyngan next week but they also meet Parkes and Wellington in the final two rounds.
Regardless of how it finishes, Group 11 fans are in for some entertainment in the final weeks of the regular season.
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Derby intensity clear to see
Maybe it was the physicality of the game, maybe it was the rough Carrington Park surface or maybe it just came down to bad luck.
The injury toll in Sunday's Bathurst derby was something to behold. When opposing props Dave Sellers of Panthers and Josh Hanrahan of St Pat's had to leave the field in the first half due to injury it was a consequence of a classic derby contest where no-one wanted to give the other side an inch.
Saints wingers Matt Beattie and Call Naden both came off injury and their hooker Hayden Bolam may have escaped a serious knee injury after he had to leave before the break. On top of that, Panthers interchange player Braydon Burgess suffered a head knock.
The niggling in the ruck from both teams was out of control and several fights almost broke out before the game had even reached the 15 minute mark.
It had all the makings of a classic derby if not for the excessive penalty count and the lack of any flow to the game - because neither side had any shortage of passion.
Stanley and Stanley go head-to-head
Kennard Park had several entertaining one-on-one battles on Sunday but none were better than James Stanley taking on Seaun Stanley Jr.
The two talented big men were on opposite sides of the field during Wellington's win but that didn't stop them from taking one another on.
James Stanley started in the middle for the Fishies and was excellent during his first stint, making inroads in tough conditions.
Meanwhile, Seaun Stanley Jr scored yet another try for the season, adding to his ever-growing tally.
Both still young men, the pair both love playing aggressive footy and can produce something from nothing.
In the Fishies' push for a late try, Stanley made a break down the right-hand side of field and looked like running away to win the match for his side only to have his pass intercepted.
With both sides almost cemented in the finals, expect more massive moments from these two.
Inspiration easy for Macquarie
We mentioned Macquarie earlier, and there was already plenty of motivation for the Raiders ahead of Sunday's match.
But something that added to it was the club's Indigenous round.
The Raiders held one of the better pre-game Indigenous round ceremonies you'll see, with a smoking ceremony and traditional dance enhanced by the presence of a number of the players' children.
Macquarie under 18s player Xavier Wells is also heavily invested in his culture and is involved in dance groups outside of football and he helped run the pre-game ceremony.
"Seventy per cent of our players are Indigenous," Raiders co-captain-coach Jack Kavanagh said.
"It's a massive thing for us and our families. It's a special feeling having the kids involved and having everyone around know the significance of it."
Round 11
Orange Hawks 30 def Lithgow Workies Wolves 20
Wellington Cowboys 20 def Dubbo CYMS 18
Macquarie Raiders 40 def Forbes Magpies 14
Bathurst Panthers 26 def Bathurst St Pat's 14
Mudgee Dragons 44 def Orange CYMS 4
Nyngan Tigers 49 def Parkes Spacemen 30
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