Going one better than first grade’s 118-5 victory over the Wombats the previous week, Orange City’s second grade team entered their own name into the game’s biggest winning margins debate with a 122-0 thumping of Narromine at Cale Oval, a ground previously deemed a fortress for the mighty Gorillas in all grades.

“I don’t know if it was a challenge,” Brad Cleal laughed when asked was it his side’s goal to upstage the Lions’ first grade outfit.

“But we definitely played really well. 

“I don’t know what it is, they had a full side with a couple of colts backing up, but it definitely wasn’t the same tough Narromine sides we’re usually used to playing.”

Cleal said the depth and player numbers of the top four sides in the Blowes Clothing Cup first grade competition meant those clubs’ - City, Orange Emus, Dubbo Roos and Bathurst Bulldogs - second grade teams were also extremely strong.

In a worrying indication of the gulf between the best and worst sides in second grade this season, Emus knocked over Cowra 52-0, Bathurst hammered Mudgee 36-0, Dubbo got the better of CSU Bathurst 66-0 and Forbes made light work of Parkes 52-0.

In total, last round’s second grade games were won 328-0.

Also, there was just one third grade game on Saturday as. Dubbo won it over CSU Bathurst 59-14.

“I don’t know how much longer the third grade competition will go for,” Cleal lamented, with just five teams in thirds in 2014.

“I definitely don’t think teams like Narromine, Parkes or Forbes will have one again. Mudgee against us the week before, they only had four or five fresh guys for second grade, the rest were all colts. Then those players all played first grade too.

“I’m not sure, maybe it’s a cycle thing.”

In all at Narromine, three Lions scored four tries, with Jackson Coote, Barton Young and Manu Halasima crossing four times each in the massive win over the Gorillas.

Cleal said there were a couple of Lions score hat-tricks too.

“But I know I definitely didn’t get one,” Cleal laughed.