The competition made headlines all over in round one when CYMS brushed aside Westside in a 102-0 mauling and Loxley admitted at the time it wasn’t a good look for the game.

And while the Rabbitohs and also Narromine remains winless at at the foot of the ladder, Loxley said there has still been plenty of positives.

“I’m pleased with everything because even Narromine has won (in reserve grade) and even though they have been getting beat they keep turning up and they’ll keep improving,” he said.

“You’ve got to take your hats off to Westside and Narromine because they turn up each week and play the right way and they’ve been doing everything right.”

Dubbo CYMS is undefeated at the top of the ladder but the likes of Forbes and Nyngan have proved themselves as premiership contenders while Parkes and Macquarie continue to show glimspes of real class.

Loxley said he was particularly pleased for the Tigers and their passionate fanbase under new captain-coach and former Cronulla Shark Stewart Mills.

“I’m really pleased for Nyngan, at the start of the season you’d like to think every club had an opportunity to win the competition and I still feel that way,” he said.

“CYMS is still the dominant force but as last year showed, anything can happen. But at this stage they deserve their favouritism.”