By Liam Cook

Season 2023 looked to be off to very bright start for Sunnybank under new coach Rob Riori.

A side littered with fresh faces, the Dragons, made early inroads to lead 17-3 on the cusp of half time against Easts.

Unfortunately for Riori’s men, the visiting Tigers crossed after the 40^th minute and then went on to keep the home side scoreless for the remainder of the contest.

Sunnybank can only blame themselves for not maintaining the rage, according to Riori.

“It’s a game that got away from us,” Riori told Rugby News.

“We put ourselves in a good position in the first half and then with poor discipline and a drop in concentration at set piece time, we blew any chance we had to win.”

The host’s initial lead stemmed from a display of pure finesse and touch when flyhalf Pakai Turia put inside centre Lepau Feau through a hole.

Many new faces, including that of the No.10, impressed Riori on the day.

“Pakai Turia got player of the day, followed closely by Alex Niedzwircki at openside flanker.”

Both Easts and Sunnybank showcased their willingness to attack with vigour, but neither side could fully penetrate the other’s steadfast defence, with Easts’ final five pointer a penalty try.

In addition to the new look Dragons’ attacking prowess, the coach was pleased even more so by his team’s application and physicality.

“On a positive note, our defence was strong, with a number of great hits, which led to turnovers.”

Despite not getting full reward, Sunnybank clearly has plenty to work with after a positive round one showing.