SHE didn't score a hat-trick like her captain, she didn't finish with a 20-point haul like her five-eighth, but the efforts of Hannah Kelly on Saturday did just as much to highlight why St Pat's are favourites to win the inaugural Western league tag premiership.
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One of the Saints' experienced core and a player with both premiership wins and Group 10 representative honours on her resume, Kelly did plenty of the hard work as her side defeated Nyngan 56-0.
She took the runs to get the Saints' sets rolling. She was a constant presence in support and defensively she made tag after tag.
It was an effort which had stand-in skipper Meredith Jones, who scored three tries in the round one clash at Jack Arrow Oval, singing her praises.
"HK, she never really gets identified as one of the best, she never gets named, but she's one of those players that always steps up," Jones said.
"She takes those runs when no-one else is there, when no-one else is bothered she backs people up, she's that little pack horse, she's a bit of a silent worker.
"She's just a really sturdy person to have in the middle ground there. She covers a lot of ground, she's a really good talker."
The Saints went into the opening round of the new Western premiership with a big weight of expectation given their dominance of the Group 10 competition.
Though missing key members of its spine - halfback Mish Somers, fullback Erin Naden and hooker Emily Rhynehart - they still had plenty of threats right across the field.
One of them is new recruit Sophie Stammers, the former Blayney Bear and Orange CYMS playmaker wasting little time in making an impact for the Saints.
She scored the first of the Saints' five first half tries.
Stammers also showed her worth in defence with some smart tags as the Tigers pressured early.
Though it took the Tigers five minutes to finally get past halfway, they then strung together three consecutive sets. But the Saints held firm.
"We're big on defence, we think defence wins games and we know we can't win unless we're keeping scores out," Jones said.
"We had to cover a little bit at times, but I think we chased really well for those tags."
While they were good in defence, the Saints' attack was just as impressive.
Jones scored two of her tries in the first half - one as she backed up a line break from Bronte Emanuel, the other as she caught out the Tigers' defence with a quick penalty tap.
Emanuel, who took on goal kicking duties in the absence of Somers, landed eight of her 10 conversion attempts and added a try to her haul off the back of some brilliant footwork.
Both Ebony O'Neill and CSU recruit Lily Walsh ran good lines, Lily Booth did well as she filled in at hooker, and Kelly - well the 'pack horse' made excellent yards.
The Saints cracked the 50-point mark with 11 left on the clock, but as a testament to Nyngan's perseverance, they only conceded one additional try in the remaining minutes.
"It was a good first run. We knew it was going to be hot and tough and we just had to focus on the basics and we did that," Jones said.
"We've got a few additions to our side that we're working on, but they're really responsive to feedback and our girls are good at providing that feedback in a lovely manner."
While the beaten Tigers didn't have the class or experience of the Saints, there were still some positive signs.
Late in the second half Victoria Hoy pulled off a desperation try-saving tag to deny Booth while the kicking game of halfback Emma Rose Teale was impressive.
Twice from kick-offs Teale caught out the Saints as the ball bounced over the sideline to hand Nyngan possession, while her clearances were impressive as well.
"We didn't know what side it was going it, we didn't know if it was short or long, she had a really good kick on her," Jones said
"I know it's hard for Nyngan, I think it's their longest trip of the season, so hats off to them. These sorts of games where they have to travel are going to be a lot harder for them."
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