The Cowra Magpies senior men’s team took to the field last weekend for a preseason trial against Orange CYMS, giving the side a valuable opportunity to test combinations ahead of the upcoming season.

Coach Craig Jeffries said he was pleased with the side’s first hit out of the year.

“I thought they went really well,” Jeffries said.

“It was their first hit out for the year and it was very warm, but they gave me plenty to work on.”

Jeffries said the return of two experienced players proved to be a major positive during the trial match.

“The return of Blake Duncombe and Aiden Craig was very positive,” he said.

“It was like they hadn’t left really.”

“They’ve both had a long time in footy and they made a comeback and were very good.”

Jeffries described the pair as instrumental in the team’s performance.

“They were probably our best two players on the day,” he said.

While the trial match offered a chance to test players in game conditions, Jeffries said the team’s main focus remains building toward the first game of the season.

“We’ll continue on the fitness journey, because we’re still effectively in the preseason,” he said.

The Magpies are now preparing for their opening round scheduled for April 26.

The coach said much of the team’s preparation will focus on building combinations within the spine.

“There will be a lot of focus on the dummy half, fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker positions,” Jeffries said.

“We want to start building combinations in those areas.”

Jeffries said discipline was one of the most encouraging aspects of the trial match.

“I think the discipline was very good,” he said.

“It was played in a really good spirit and there weren’t a lot of penalties.”

He said maintaining discipline has been a major focus during the pre-season.

“That’s been a big focus, fitness and discipline, cutting out silly penalties,” he said.

“That will continue to be a strong message leading into every game.”

With several players up for positions, Jeffries said selecting the final game day side will be challenging.

The trial match was played over 60 minutes, making it difficult to give all players extended game time.

“There were a couple of young guys I wanted to see more of,” he said.

“Finding that balance between seeing more of them and building the engine of the players we already know was tricky.”

As a result, choosing the final squad for the opening game could prove difficult.

“It’s going to be really hard to pick the 17 players for the first game,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries said the team will review footage from the trial match before their next training session to identify areas for improvement.

“I’ve got the footage and I’m going to watch that before training,” he said.

“It’s always good to rewatch things because there’s always stuff you miss.”

The trial provided the Magpies with an early indication of where the team stands ahead of the season and what areas will need refining before round one.