Given the way the first portion of the season has played out, those familiar with the AFL North West men's competition would likely have picked the Tamworth Kangaroos to beat the combined Narrabri Eagles and Moree Suns (NEMS) on Saturday.
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But even Kangaroos coach Richard Nicholl was taken aback by the scale of his team's victory once the final horn rang at No. 1 Oval.
Tamworth's 26.16.172 to 4.2.26 win was thunderous, and the margin might have been larger had the Kangaroos not taken the opportunity to test out some of their new tactics after half time.
"With no disrespect to [NEMS], yesterday was a bit of a training run," Nicholl said.
"When it was 98-0 at half time, we were able to use the second half to focus solely on what we're trying to do every other day, and it was really good."
With Saturday's win, the Kangaroos now sit second on the AFLNW ladder, only behind their local counterparts, the Swans.
The NEMS team, however, is still looking for its first win of the season and sits comfortably in last place.
There will be a competition-wide bye this weekend, which the Kangaroos will follow with a clash against the New England Nomads in Armidale.
Nicholl expects that game to be a stern test, but with a big win in the rearview and a week of rest in the offing, he believes his players will be in well-placed to take on the formidable Nomads outfit.
"I think it's an opportunity to refresh," he said.
"I think it's always nice to get away from footy for a weekend and do something different."
But he also made note of the team's attitude after the win on the weekend, as many of the players were "really keen" to get back to training, which Nicholl said is a "really positive" sign.
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