IN FULL FLIGHT: Magpies win three in a row

IF EASTERN Suburbs win this year's Bundaberg Rugby League A-grade title, Saturday's win against the Wallaroos could have played a major part in it.

NEW ROLE: Matthew Ross at full speed for Eastern Suburbs on Saturday while playing in the halves. INSET: Easts player Chris Ford scores against the Roos in the win. Picture: Brian Cassidy

LEAGUE: If Eastern Suburbs win this year's Bundaberg Rugby League A-grade title, Saturday's win against the Wallaroos could have played a major part in it.

The Magpies defeated the Roos 28-16 at Salter Oval to record their third straight win of the competition.

Easts struggled early, with the score 10-6 as the Roos fought valiantly with multiple players out of the side.

But the Magpies fought back and scored 22 of the last 28 points in the game to secure victory.

"I gave them a blast at half time,” Easts coach Mick O'Sullivan said.

"We played sub standard football and coughed the ball up too much,” O'Sullivan said.

"It all clicked in the second half and at one stage our goal defence stood tall for six straight sets.”

O'Sullivan said the talk had been coming.

"I was holding back (a spray) but when the game unfolded I went today's the day,” he said.

"I hate doing it but the boys admitted after the game that it needed to be done.”

O'Sullivan said while the team was poor in the first half, it was also adjusting to a new combination with Matt Craven at fullback and Matt Ross in the halves.

"Matt Craven is better with more space; it was too crowded in the halves,” the coach said.

"Matt Ross needs the ball as much as possible and played in halves when he was at Avondale in the NDRL.

"It took us a half to click but it ended up working.

"We'll settle on that squad for the rest of the year barring injury.”

Easts have now moved to third on the ladder with the win and could now move to second next week if results go their way.

O'Sullivan said the squad was now believing it could do some damage in this year's Bundaberg Rugby League A-grade competition.

"One hundred per cent,” he said.

"All players from the past couple of weeks believe we can take it out.

"Trent Seeds is starting to hit form and Billy-James Stefaniuk is not scoring as many tries as he is used to but we are figuring that out.

"Danny Moran played his best game for the year on Saturday.”

The side now takes on Maryborough Brothers after it lost to Hervey Bay 72-10 in one of other A-grade matches on Saturday.