Last year it worked as Cooks Hill surprised many by racking up 32 points - just seven shy of the finals.

The potential is there again, but a brutal draw to open the season has left them last on one point after five rounds.

A shining light has been 18-year-old Cody Nancarrow, who has bagged five of their six goals to sit one behind the league's top scorers. Nancarrow came to Cooks Hill this season from Lambton Jaffas in search of top-grade game time and Zoricich was thrilled with his efforts.

"That's what we targetted," Zoricich said.

"Last year we had the same with Brock Beveridge and Matt Berrigan, who were on the fringes at Jaffas, and they played most of our games. Brock ended up being our top goalscorer.

"It's a similar thing with Cody, giving him that chance and he's taken it, probably earlier than we expected, so hopefully that will continue.

"We just need a couple of the others to replicate what he's doing and we'll be fine."

Zoricich said the tough start was not a shock given they drew the top three sides from last season, plus Olympic and Valentine. He hoped a last-start 1-1 draw with Valentine, who opened with four wins, was the beginning of a revival. They next face the bottom three from 2023.

"We spoke about that before the season," he said. "We had a look at it and thought we could well be in this position we're in and it was just a matter of making no excuses and just going, it is what it is and we just have to roll the sleeves up and try harder.

"Obviously we don't like looking at the table and seeing ourselves at the bottom, but are up for the fight or are we going to shy away from it? It's been spoken about and the boys have been good. They haven't dropped their heads at all, so hopefully they are up for the fight.

"We did it last year and went on a run."

"It was similar last year, the only difference was we had four points on the board before a run of four losses. It's pretty similar and we've been there before. Now the winnable games, we have to actually win them."

Dan Yaxley (fractured elbow) and Berrigan (hamstring) are sidelined for Cooks Hill. Zoricich, though, was pleased with the debut of former Lake Macquarie player Charlie Buffon against Valentine in place of Yaxley at right-back.

A late penalty from Nancarrow gave Cooks Hill a share of the points at Fearnley Dawes Athletics Field on Saturday after Nick Cowburn struck early for Phoenix. Cooks Hill hit the post late.

"We need the whole group to push each other and we're hoping the boys on the fringes are a little bit stronger than last year," Zoricich said.

"It was good to get at least a point I guess but it would have been nice to snatch all three points and get our season underway.

"It was disappointing because the boys have been putting in a lot of effort and at the moment we're not getting anything from it, but the performances have gradually been getting better and I feel like it's just a matter of time before we get the three points we deserve."

The competition rests this weekend for the Easter break.