What's the deal with Dubbo CYMS and do we need to worry about them yet?

I stand by the question and it looked good at the time, but things have certainly changed a little since then.

Two weeks into the 2024 Peter McDonald Premiership season and the Fishies are in a share of last spot on the ladder after back-to-back losses.

So, what are we to make of the club's worst start to a first grade season in more than a decade?

It's only two games so no one is writing off the Fishies. Orange Hawks lost each of their first three games last season and still made the prelim final so these results aren't terminal.

But there's still some concerning signs.

The biggest is the fact CYMS has conceded match-winning tries late on in back-to-back weeks. That's very un-CYMS like. The Fishies had the chances to beat both Macquarie and Bathurst Panthers but lost both by a combined total of eight points.

A premiership hangover is understandable after the side put so much in the 2023 season and finally got that much-craved grand final win. While taking nothing away from the Raiders or Panthers at all, injuries and suspension have also already played a big role in CYMS' early season results.

Another factor to consider is the Fishies being a victim of their own success.

While there is a core group of players who have experienced the highs and lows for roughly a decade, a lot of younger players and newcomers in recent times have won almost every week. Even if they're not intentionally thinking it, those players would be turning up this year simply expecting to win.

It may well prove to be the kick in the backside CYMS needed after 2023 but coach Shawn Townsend and his players do need to turn things around pretty quickly.

This season is already looking hugely competitive. Wellington and Orange CYMS are the only sides to have won in each of the first two rounds, while Parkes scored a big win on the weekend after enjoying the bye in week one.

CYMS next travels to Orange to take on a Hawks side smarting after a heavy loss to Wellington. If they were to lose again, then things become a little more serious.

Wellington has started the season two-from-two but could be hit with a points deduction after being handed a breach notice.

We reported yesterday the Cowboys were hit after failing to have properly accredited game day volunteers involved in the round one games at Nyngan.

It turns out the Cowboys aren't the only club to have been stung this season as the PMP board takes a more serious stand on administrative-type errors. Apparently one club has been fined on more than 10 occasions for repeated mistakes.

As previously stated, this season's finals race is looking hugely competitive and it would be incredibly frustrating for a club if one team missed out on a spot in the top eight due to someone not filling out something online properly.

Bathurst St Pat's v Wellington. It's early days, but we should learn a bit from this match in round three.

St Pat's impressed in a round one win over Panthers but then came crashing back to Earth during a 42-16 hammering at Parkes on Sunday.

They were admittedly without some players, but it still wasn't the type of result wanted after a strong opening round.

If Pat's can bounce back at home against a high-flying Wellington side then it's a big tick, but if they fail to win then we might think differently about their top eight credentials.

For the Cowboys, a win away from home to keep an unbeaten record intact would put them in the conversation for major title contenders.