The Bombers didn’t just bring their opponents back down to earth.

They shot those flying Pigs out of the sky, taking CSU’s promising start to the season and – with clinical efficiency and brutal relentlessness – tearing it to shreds before handing it back in the shape of a scorecard that read 26.12 (168) to 3.5 (23).

The result sent CSU back in time to the dark days of a couple of seasons ago, but was also a clear statement about Marrar.

“It’s the first time we’ve played four quarters for the year. They were pretty relentless for the whole game,” Marrar coach Shane Lenon said.

“I’m impressed with our ability when we don’t have the ball, the pressure that we apply when we don’t have the ball, especially the last two games. It’s been spot on.

“We can build our game off that – win the ball back and spread and run and slingshot from that pressure.”

The Bombers were red-hot from the outset kicking the first four goals inside eight minutes. More importantly, inside six minutes they’d earned a couple of free kicks for tackles in the middle. 

Ten minutes had passed before CSU looked to have any composure, let alone opportunity, before Rob Herzfeld tried to launch a resistance. He kicked two of three CSU goals in five minutes, which brought the margin back to seven points. 

But from then on, they could barely put a foot right, kept goalless for three-and-a-half quarters.  And Marrar’s advantage went from 27 points at the first break to 58 at half-time and 110 at the last change on the way to a staggering scoreline. 

“We let them kick three goals in a row and one of the team rules is if the opposition kick two goals, we have to stop the run there and then,” Lenon said. 

“(CSU) kicked a third one so that’s something we don’t like to happen. There’s always things you can work on – discipline, and just working hard on the track.”

Marrar’s damaging forward Brad Turner had three goals before quarter-time but his day was soured early in the second term by a yellow card and report for rough conduct after a bump on Diarmid Cleary. 

But his absence did little to slow the scoring as Rory Block, Jason Reid and Brad Moye stepped up, capitalising on Marrar’s dominance out of the middle. 

Block had an enormous day out, kicking nine goals, and as the game drew on, the interest for the home crowd was in whether he or Turner (seven goals) might get to double figures.

But it was no two-man show. And the urgency with which those two forwards were applying pressure in the 24^th minute of the last quarter – which led to Brad Moye’s fourth goal – indicated a team playing for each other.

“It was a real team effort – you don’t win like that without having everyone doing their bit,” Lenon said. “They’re a tight-knit bunch… and it’s hard work and preparation that’s helping us game day."

Having said that, in a dangerous forward set-up featuring Turner and Jordan Matthews in the key positions, Block’s nine-goal haul was an almost-faultless performance.

“Brilliant, he’s having a good year,” Lenon said. 

“He’s got some tricks! He’s elusive, he’s got explosive leg-speed – he’s a pretty good player.

“And we’re moving the ball in there quick as well and we’ve got Brad Moye, so we’ve got some blokes who can finish off the work up the field.”

Ominously for opposing sides, Marrar were without Geoff Spriggs and Chris O’Donnell, while recruit Jeremy Rowe is ready to come in next week against North Wagga, and players like Joel Kelly and Josh Suckling show the depth in reserve grade. 

Herzfeld was impressive again for the Bushpigs while Cleary and fellow backman Jack Thompson-Gardener battled hard against the odds all day.

But for CSU, it’s a matter of picking up the pieces and preparing for The Rock-Yerong Creek. The challenge is learning and moving on, without allowing the demolition job to derail their season.