COLLEGIANS will be looking to unseat Wests at the top of the ladder next week after blitzing Dapto 36-16 on Saturday.
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The Dogs led 16-0 after just 13 minutes and grabbed a fourth try 10 minutes before halftime to take a 20-4 lead into the break.
They added three more tries in the second 40 to make it six wins on the trot for Nathan Fien's men.
"With Dapto coming off three good wins on the trot we knew they were right back in the comp and this was going to be a big game they'd be up for," Fien said.
"We really wanted to start fast and hard which we did. Most sides, if they're down 16-0 after 12 minutes, would turn it up but they kept fighting.
"That start probably put the game beyond doubt but they're a good side and they stayed in the game. We just wanted to have a real focus on the effort areas and we did that which was pleasing.
"We're taking little steps in the right direction."
It sets up a mouth-watering showdown with Wests next week after the Devils piled on 38 unanswered points in the second half of their 48-4 win over Berkeley.
It will be a top of the table clash, with Thirroul now a win off the pace after their home clash with Corrimal deferred following Friday's deluge.
"We haven't been a side that's struggled to get up for the big games," Fien said.
"We got Thirroul a few weeks back and we've always had one eye on this one as well after going down to Wests by a point in round one so I know the boys will be really keen.
"It's another opportunity to see where we're at. We're well and truly past the halfway point of the comp now and we're starting to find our groove.
"We've got a couple of little injuries and things like that you get at this time of year that aren't ideal but everyone's in the same boat there.
"It's all about the victory next week. If we can snare that one we'll be pushing for that top-two spot which was our goal at the start of the year."
Brad Manton crossed for the opening try after just 90 seconds and Alec Reid and Jake Wood also got across in the following 11 minutes.
Rob Buaserau finally hit back when he won the race to a Jake Hawkins grubber but Gavin Duffy's 30th minute four-pointer gave the visitors a handy 16-point cushion at the break.
Duffy grabbed his second 14 minutes into the second stanza to extend the margin to 20 before Jeff Robson finished off a 50-metre team effort to give the Canaries a sniff at 24-10.
It was as close as they got, with Brodie Rigg splitting the Canaries open from dummy-half to cross for his side's sixth try before Zac Hicks' four-pointer sealed the deal late.
A 40-20 from Troy Pieper opened the door for Josh Vaartjes try in the shadow of fulltime but it was pure consolation.
It didn't see Dapto fall out of fourth spot but, not for the first time this season, frustrated Canaries coach Mick Murphy was left ruing a sluggish start.
"The boys were flat to start with and the footy Collies threw at us to start the game was as good we've seen all year," Murphy said.
"I think the boys really found out where we're at. Collies were good and I think the scoreboard flattered us in the end.
"There were some positives in there. They could've gone anywhere after that first 10 minutes, early in the year we might have, but they got themselves back in the game.
"The boys hung in there but it's hard to win footy games when you miss the start like that. We definitely need to fix it."