MOREE Boars confirmed their premiership aspirations with an impressive 20-point win over Dungowan in Saturday's third of four Feast of Footy games at Gunnedah's Kitchener Park.
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The Boars raced in eight tries as brilliant little fullback Adrian converted just two of the eight tries in an abnormal kicking display.
The Boars also unveiled another, young attacking threat in hooker Lachlan McGrady.
The son of former Boar centre Barry McGrady, a premiership winner with the Boars in 1987 Lachlan was a constant menace to the Dungowan defence and it was his break from dummy half that led to a try for captain-coach Michael Watton.
That gave the Boars a 20-6 lead and while Dungowan scored two more tries to make it 24-16 at halftime the Boars crossed for three more tries in the second half to seal the points.
"It was good, we've got something to build on," Michael Watton told Group 4 Media.
"I was pretty happy with the second half defensive effort."
Watton said his biggest problem is fitting "so many attacking weapons into the team".
"And we've got Mark Pegus to come into this team as well."
Watton was also delighted with the debut of lock Jack Durheim.
"He had a cracker," he said of the lock.
"He's a very good communicator and great for Jamie (Sampson) and I. He makes it easy for us.
"Chris (Vidler) also had a great debut for us. He's going to be good for the run and going to be so good for us.
"Lachlan (McGrady) was great too and another attacking threat in the middle."
Dungowan captain-coach Jack Cameron, who hopes to be back midyear after a shoulder reconstruction, was happy with his side's effort.
"It was positive," he said.
"A tough game first up against one of the best sides in the comp.
Their second phase beat us," he said of a Moree side that made constant inroads with good offloads.
"Cochrane (Brenton) was just too good. And we don't have any game fitness but we have plenty of positives to take out of that and it was a start."
He thought Dylan Lake had a great debut for the Cowboys and is going to "very handy when we get him the right ball.
"I thought Brayden (Allan) was our best," he said of the young centre who was outstanding in attack and defence.
Allan was a constant threat and may well be one of the stars of the G4 season.
MOREE 36 (Dereik Newman 2, Jake Tighe 2, Brenton Cochrane, Adrian Smith, Michael Watton, Brent McDonald tries, Adrian Smith 2gls) d DUNGOWAN 16 (Dylan Lake, Brayden Allan, Cy Sweeney tries, Trent Taylor 2gls) G4 B&F: 3 Lachlan McGrady (M), 2 Brayden Allan (D), 1 Chris Vidler (M).
