If you thought North Launceston wouldn't be as strong as last year, think again.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In losing multi-premiership trio Rhyan Mansell, Dakota Bannister and Karlton Wadley, the Northern Bombers have added four in their place with Corey Nankervis, Zach Burt, Mark Walsh and Tom Bennett all returning from the NTFA.
Josh Ponting and Arion Richter-Salter both signed for other clubs before unforeseen circumstances led to 2020 homecomings, while gun teen pair Jackson Callow and Ollie Sanders will be accessible on a weekly basis with the Tassie Devils' NAB League campaign looking increasingly shaky.
RELATED: Launceston 2020 TSL season preview
Two-time premiership coach Taylor Whitford didn't downplay the strength of the Bombers' squad, but said the team would need to gel to be a chance for a record fourth consecutive flag.
"It's one of those ones where if your list on paper doesn't play well on gameday then it's no point having it, so we've got to have a collective buy-in," Whitford said.
"It's going to take 30-40 guys this year, it's probably different to other years where we're playing a Wednesday night game."
North Launceston will host North Hobart in their July 11 season opener after the TSL pushed its roster a week forward to ensure teams would play just one midweek fixture in 2020.
The Bombers' double-up comes in rounds seven and eight where an August 22 trip to Glenorchy precedes a Northern derby at UTAS Stadium four days later.
"We're not expecting those 22 players to back up from Saturday to Wednesday," Whitford said.
"We've probably get 10 or 12 really experienced players that are hardened bodies that are going to adapt to it well and we've probably got 25-30 inexperienced bodies that are going to need a rest at times, so we're just going to have to manage that the best we can.
"Our mindset going into the year is that we're going to need 30-40 players and we think through Ozzie Young our list manager we've created a really good list of players we can take into a 12-game season."
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT