A game-breaker on the side of the scrum for the ladder-topping chooks, Marchinton said his side's pack has been aggrieved by the notion Emus' forwards weren't quite up to the mark in 2020.

They put that notion to bed very quickly in round four.

Emus' scrum was powerful, its line-out like clockwork, and the pack's work in general play was superb, constructing two of the hosts' three tries in horrific conditions at Endeavour Oval.

From one to eight, they out-played Roos all over the park, and flanker Sam Greatbatch niggled well enough to out-point the visiting Dubbo boys on his own.

The return clash will certainly be an interesting one up in Dubbo.

Roos coach Jason Coyle indicated Dubbo would work hard on their scrum ahead of a clash with Forbes and then a looming date with the premiers in Bathurst.

They need to, because in a month's time they take on Emus again. And they now know it'll be far from easy.

Lewis Dwyer received well-earned praise for his role in the centres for City during the club's drought-breaking win Blowes Clothing Cup win on Saturday.

A Parkes Spacemen prop, Dwyer has already trotted out for Orange City in 2020 but took up pride of place in the pack, where he's more than at home.

The ex-Northern Suburbs Shute Shield lock played rugby union all through school and enjoyed a crack at Sydney's premier competition before returning home to the Central West in 2018.

He's only 28, too, and if the Lions can continually call on Dwyer's services to play secondrow, or in the centres, you get the feeling more wins are well within Viv Paasi's reach in 2020.

As the Lions coach said on Saturday after his side's first win in two seasons, that rather heavy monkey is now well and truly off the club's back.

Now, Saturday's conditions were far from conducive to what the rusted on rugby tragic likes to call running rugby.

Mud, scrums, mauls, rucks, mud, line-outs, kicks, mud ... a rugby tragic would probably have enjoyed that too, still no one was running anywhere.

Actually, one player managed to find a bit of space.

Roos fullback Jayden Blake, still a high school student, was sensational in the hugely influential role and his elusiveness despite the boggy conditions was eye-catching.

He was good against the Lions in similar conditions at Pride Park three weeks ago, too.

Fingers crossed for Roos there's a few dry tracks at home and the 17-year-old up-and-comer will really start to tear it up in the top tier.

Steve Fergus running the touchline in 3 degree weather, wearing footy shorts, his formal Emus shirt and carrying a tin is peak Country Rugby.

More of it. Cheers.

Not yet, but losing to the Lions last week certainly put a sizable dent in both the club's finals aspirations and pride.

Fitness appears the biggest issue at Grinsted Oval, because there's enough talent there to challenge for a crown, not just a place in the top four.

There's time for Forbes to get it together, but that time is running out fast.

Huge game this week against Roos before tough trips to Orange to face Emus and City again in the second round.

Two wins might get them a crack. But two wins seems a fair way off at this point.