JUST two spots separate Forster Tuncurry and Wauchope on the Group 3 rugby league ladder, but the Hawks’ 58-4 training run at Harry Elliot Oval on Sunday underscored a vast chasm between the teams’ abilities.

A hat trick to Hawks five-eight Daniel Benson and doubles to Ben Lowry and Dean Basham demoralised the Blues, and six Forster players breached the visitors’ goal-line.

Wauchope were missing prop and skipper Tim Coombes, and the visitors’ engine room stalled without its main component. They were in the game for about 20 minutes, when an early try had them clinging to a 6-4 deficit. Then the dam wall burst.

Lowry’s performance in his starting line-up debut was electrifying, and his second try was one to savour.

Basham bent back the defensive line and handed off to Hawks speedster Des Donnelly. Donnelly mesmerised the back-tracking Blues winger and sprung Lowry down the left sideline to score untouched.

Basham unleashed a 70m individual try when he swatted two defenders aside and launched an attack from deep in his own half. The fullback was used as a speed bump before the rampaging prop touched down.

Towering Hawk Natt Watts has arms that stretch like Mr Fantastic’s, and they came in handy when he found himself in open space with just the last line to beat. Watts charged at the visiting fullback and reached over two defenders to slam-dunk the ball on the line. With seven games before the playoffs, Group 3 has fractured into three tiers of quality; Port City Breakers, the Hawks and The Rest. The strange thing is, Wauchope gave the Breakers two awful frights – they walked away with draws in both their 2008 clashes. They clearly need the talismanic Coombes at full fitness to hold their own with the top teams.

The Hawks’ home game stretch ends on Sunday with the visit of third-placed Wingham Tigers, who should provide a much stiffer contest.

Forster Tuncurry Hawks 58 (D Benson 3, B Lowry 2, D Basham 2, N Watts, J Neave, D Stallworthy tries, D Benson 9 goals) beat Wauchope Blues 4.

Players’ player: Daniel Benson. 3pts Daniel Benson, 2pts Daniel Stallworthy, 1pt Dean Basham.