The new-look Warialda Wombats have got their 2024 Group 19 season off to a strong start with their men's team notching up wins in the opening rounds.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In round one they beat the Tingha Tigers 28-22 while round two saw them post half a century against the Moree Boomerangs with a 52-18 victory.
The side has been bolstered by a number of strong off-season signings including a host of players, and a coach, from the Toomelah-Boggabilla-Goondiwindi areas.
Mal Peckham also makes the trip to town multiple times per week after being recruited to take on the coaching position.
Peckham grew up in Moree and predominated pulled on a Boomerangs' jersey during his playing days.
So it was good to get a win against his old club and he knew what they needed to do to beat them.
"Our goal was to control the ball and keep the ball away from them," he said.
"I think we did that pretty well, especially the second-half."
Fullback Geoffrey Prince couldn't be stopped with a large number of points coming via the speedster.
And defensively, the Wombats were strong.
Peckham's side was wary of giving the Boomerangs a sniff of the try-line.
"If they have got the ball they can create from nothing," he said.
"But if they haven't got the ball, they can't do anything.
"I think it is like every other team, if you are doing a lot of defence, your attack is a little bit down because of fatigue.
"That showed with the Boomerangs in the second-half.
"After they had done a fair bit of defence, little mistakes started to pop in and they weren't controlling the ball as well as they are capable of."
Being two from two is how Peckham wanted to start the season.
He believes snagging early wins sets you up long-term.
He also said the side is fit after a really strong pre-season.
"If you can get three wins out of the first five games, you know where your team is and hopefully you can maintain that form through the year," Peckham said.
"I really believe if you are fairly fit, injuries don't come into play as much.
"If you are not fit, you can get injuries in numbers in any game."
In the league tag, the Wombats and the Boomerangs shared a 6-all draw.
The Wombats also picked up the points in their under 18s match against Narwan, triumphing 22-14.