The Yass Rams were the latest victims of the Crookwell Dogs' resurgence last weekend.
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In a hard-fought match at Yass's Victoria Park, the Rams went down to the Dogs 23-46, which marked Crookwell's third win in a row. This is particularly impressive after they began the season with three defeats.
Meanwhile, it is the second defeat in a row for the Rams, who lost to the Jindabyne Bushpigs a fortnight ago.
In the interceding week, Yass were expected to play the Braidwood Redbacks, but the match was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
The week off did not help Yass a great deal, as they went in seemingly under-prepared against a rampant Crookwell side who, in recent weeks, has defeated the Jindabyne Bushpigs and the Bungendore Mudchooks.
Now, with a win over the Rams, Crookwell is catapulted into the top four on the ladder, after it appeared that it would languish at the bottom after the first three weeks.
This jump from the Dogs has also seen the Rams slide to sixth.
While it is far too early in the season to write off Yass, it does make clear the need for improvement from one of the most talented sides in the competition.
One of the most glaring areas in need of addressing from the Rams is their lack of second-half scoring.
During the match against Crookwell, Yass did not add a single point to their half-time score. It was the same story in their round two loss to the Taralga Tigers.
Even in matches they win, the Rams often rely on a strong first half to carry them over the line, as seen in their round three victory over Bungendore.
At half time, Yass led 29-8. By the end of the match, the score was 36-23. The Rams added only one more try in the second half, compared to Bungendore's three.
If the Rams can score as consistently in the second half as they do in the first, the competition could take on a very different outlook as the midway point of the season approaches.
This Saturday, May 18, the Yass Rams will play the Batemans Bay Boars at Victoria Park from 2.30pm.