The 26-8 triumph was unsurprisingly tough as the home side stuck with Hawks until the second stanza.

But, as many expected, the cream rose to the top as the title contenders collected the competition points.

"I panned out pretty well for us," McKellar said.

"Our hooker [Alex Prout] pulled out late with an injured groin but Glen Maxwell and Rakai [Tuheke] filled in there for us.

"We had a few debutants that got their opportunity and played well."

One of the Hawks talking points ahead of the winter was returning fullback Ryan Manning, the 20-year-old shaping as a much-needed addition at the back of the field.

"Bubba [Manning] was great at the back. He had big chat, and big heart... he played well," he said.

"Marlin [Pollack] come off the bench and did well. I think he showed what he's got to give to the team."

Toby Westcott is another X factor for the side in 2021 as the young halfback partnered with captain-coach Willie Heta on Saturday, steering the boys around responsibly.

"He's only a young fella but he went really well... he took a lot of pressure off Willy,' he said.

Things will only get tougher for Hawks in the coming weeks as they're set to hosts St Pat's in round two.

So, what will they looking to work on between now and then?

"It's still just combinations for us," he said.

"Everyone's in a different position and we've got some new roles that we need to work on.

"Once we get that sorted, everyone will flow better off each other. There were positives and negatives yesterday but it was good to get the win."

The top grade win was the third victory for the traveling side on Saturday as the second grade squad picked up a 27-12 win beforehand.

The result bodes well for the depth at the club ahead of what could be a challenging winter after such a long lay off.

The league tag side was expected to do well on Saturday as they kicked the card off in style, shellacking Lithgow 54-10.

Other notable results around the grounds included a 54-10 win for St Pat's league tag as the blue and whites appear poised to continue their run of dominance this winter.

CYMS also won their league tag match 28-18 over Blayney.

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