Dubbo Kangaroos started slowly before catching an enthusiastic Orange Emus team who had raced out to a 10-0 lead in the 2026 Blowes Clothing Cup rugby season to hop away with a 43-17 victory.

Once the local boys found their rhythm and began to respect the ball, they played eye-catching ensemble rugby in the hotly-contested match up at Dubbo Rugby Club No.1 Oval.

The forwards competed strongly at set pieces and on the ground, which allowed halves Gemmel and Mahe Fangupo to free up the backline.

Inside centre Nathan Burton busted the line like a raging bull allowing speedsters Beach, Roko, and Walsh to slice deep into Emus patch.

Once again, fullback Dale Smith showed the transition to Blowes Cup was a breeze. His cool head and rangy returns, working seamlessly with Roko had the Ladies Day crowd on their feet constantly.

Although they won handily on the scoreboard, everyone agreed the match was much closer than the final result suggested.

After they won three of four games against the Emus, Roos are now clear leaders in Blowes Cup First Grade.

In the juniors, the Roos Colts also had a handy win over the Mudgee Wombats by 29-7.

Enjoy more photos by Steve Cowley in the May 7 edition of Dubbo Photo News, available free to pick up at 100 locations around the region, or via the Digital Editions tab on our website.