Could North Launceston become Fourth Launceston?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Fresh from a three-peat and five of the past six TSL premierships, North Launceston are every bit as well-placed in 2020.
After a "clunky" start to the season which featured their one and only loss - their first Northern derby defeat since 2013 - the Bombers have again peaked at the right time of the season.
Since the round 11 win over Lauderdale, the Bombers have won by 56, 88 and 78 points and enter Saturday's decider with a team that features eight different faces from the 2019 premiership side.
"It's a group that's relatively new together, but in saying that, it moulded together over the pre-season," coach Taylor Whitford said.
"Then we had to stop [for COVID], we went away, came back and re-moulded and we're building our trust as we go along in the year.
"I thought our performance last week showed a lot of trust in each other and that's a positive thing for us."
An influx of premiership players returned to the club in 2020 - Corey Nankervis, Zach Burt, Tom Bennett and Mark Walsh to name a few - while NTFA pair Dan Withers and Jake Laskey have impressed in their first season at UTAS Stadium.
Young guns Sherrin Egger, Ollie Sanders and Jackson Callow have all taken the next step in their development, with the latter still a strong chance to win a call-up on Saturday should he prove his fitness.
The superstar midfield core of Whitford, Cox-Goodyer and Josh Ponting have struck a great balance between dominating games and allowing room for the development of Egger and Baynen Lowe.
Both coaches agreed Saturday's all-Northern decider would be a tactical battle, with North backing in Alex Lee and Bart McCulloch to combat Launceston's dual ruck combo of Tim Auckland and Joe Groenewegen.
"I think those contests are going to be really important to who's winning the contest and who's getting the ball in their forward line," Whitford said.
"I think both forward lines are very dangerous when the ball's in there, so hopefully we can win the ball around stoppages.
"Auckland and Alex have had really good battles - Alex is a maturing ruckman that knows his craft now inside and out, and Auckland ... has had a really good year in his own right so that battle in itself is going to be huge."
Could North Launceston become Fourth Launceston?
You'd better believe they could.
MORE TSL: Siggins wins Alastair Lynch Medal