'A lot of potential': Cowboys finally click as Bulldogs lose again

In the first half against Dungowan, Smith's prediction looked sound as the Bulldogs went try for try with a Cowboys side whose attack revved up early.

But while the home side continued to fire after the break, Gunnedah fired blanks - with the Cowboys parlaying a 20-16 half-time lead into a 42-16 round four win.

It was their first victory of the season, in their third outing, while Gunnedah's 12-match losing streak dates back to round seven last year.

"We're starting to gel a bit more - ready for a good season," 19-year-old Cowboys winger Jack Edser told the Leader, adding: "We've got a lot of potential."

That is clearly the case based on their showing against Gunnedah, on what was a sunny and temperate autumn day on Saturday, April 27.

Dungowan scored four tries to none after the break - the domination initiated by a four-pointer to winger Malaki Johnson from a centre-field scrum in the 45th minute.

That was followed by perhaps the try of the match: Bulldogs No 1 Dylan Lake crossed after the ball was swung from one side of the field to the other.

Eleven minutes later, in the 63rd minute, young Cowboys No. 11 Braydon Allan scored a runaway try.

Allan then bagged a double when he showed great athleticism to pounce on a grubber just before the ball went dead.

Edser's left-edge partner, teen centre Noah Hooley, also crossed twice.

"It was pretty tough, but we got there in the end," said Edser, a Cowboys junior who made his first-grade debut this year and who, in the 30th minute on Saturday, tracked down a Lake grubber to post his first top-grade touchdown.