Though it may not show on the Group 4 first grade ladder this year, the Gunnedah Bulldogs have begun to found some of the form that has evaded them in recent seasons.
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Werris Creek Magpies coach, Dave Stewart, fully understood the challenge that lay before his side prior to this afternoon's clash against Gunnedah.
And, after the Magpies escaped with a 30-26 win, he was relieved but not surprised.
"That was exactly what I was expecting," Stewart said.
"We knew they were getting better, we knew they'd improve after the first time we played them. We watched their results, and we knew they were going to go hard today."
Indeed, the Bulldogs got off to a near-ideal start at David Taylor Oval.
After Ronin Hadden snapped a 20-minute deadlock to open the scoring for the hosts, Gunnedah piled on three tries in response - including one right on half time from dangerous winger Emori Waqavulagi - to take a 14-6 lead at the break.
But there was no panic or frustration from Stewart. Instead, he told his side that this was just another obstacle to overcome.
"There was actually no real instructions [at the break]," he said.
"This is a challenge we knew we were going to face today. Basically all I said to them was 'I'm not going to rant and rave. You know what the challenge is, you know what we spoke about before the game.
"'It's up to you blokes, now.'"
The message resonated with the players who, led by Players' Player Cody Tickle, scored two tries in the first 10 minutes after the break to snatch back the lead.
The Bulldogs kept pace, thanks largely to Waqavulagi's hat-trick, but Magpies five-eighth Nash Porter snared himself a pair in the second half to secure the hosts' lead.
The game was alive right down to the last minute, where Gunnedah sought to level the game, but Werris Creek's defence was resolute.
"They rose to the challenge," Stewart said.
While there is no doubt Gunnedah has improved significantly in recent weeks, it is small consolation to coach Sean Hayne.
The man who led them to the 2019 grand final came into the season with high expectations, and said their recent late-game lapses have proven both costly and "disappointing".
"We were in the game most of the game. But there was a period there after half time where we let ourselves down with some forced passes," Hayne said.
"We're getting better, but we should've been better from the start of the year. At the end of the day, it's a results-driven game, and if you're not winning it doesn't really matter."
