"There were lots of positives in the game but we still have lots to work on."
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That is how Kempsey Cannonballs co-coach Jared Fuller summed up the team's pre-season trial game performance against Forster-Tuncurry Dolphins on the weekend.
The team hosted their first home game of the year on Saturday, April 1, when they welcomed the Forster-Tuncurry Dolphins for the pre-season hit out.
Fuller set a simple aim for the team during the game.
"From our point of view, it was just about getting our guys out for a bit of a run and getting some match fitness under the belt," he said.
The team ended up with a 35-5 win against the Dolphins, which adds to their Surf n Turf Cup victory the week before.
Fuller said he was satisfied with both victories but knows the team has still got a long way to go.
"The other team had a few players out, so you can't take too much out of that game," he said.
"While we got some fitness and started to develop some combinations, that's all it is at this point, we still have a lot of work to do.
"We know that whilst we did some things really well on Saturday, there were some things that we didn't do to the level that we were hoping for either.
"Out of that game, we have identified a couple of areas that we need to try and polish up in the next few weeks."
Fuller said the team has scaled back their focus on trial games after learning a few lessons from last season.
"We have a measured approach about how we want to approach these games now," he said. "We won a lot of trial games at the start of last year, and I think we got a bit ahead of ourselves.
"So as much as we are happy with where we are at the moment, we are certainly keeping our feet firmly on the ground this year."
The Cannonballs are preparing for their first game against the SCU Marlins in four weeks time.
Fuller said the team still had plenty of work to do before round one and they were focused on gradual improvement.
"We have four weeks until the season starts and we are a long way away from being where we want to be," he said. "At the same time, the coaching staff are confident that we are on the right track.
"Now, we just need to knuckle down these next four weeks."
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