Launceston have brought back their best ahead of the highly-anticipated Tigers match-up that's been touted as a potential grand final preview.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Skipper Jobi Harper, star recruit Jackson Thurlow, Baldock Medallist Joe Groenewegen and 150-gamer Jake Smith are all in, with coach Mitch Thorp treating COVID as a "one-week injury".
"For the boys to only miss seven days, they're not going to de-train to a point where they can't play," he said.
"All of them have trained Tuesday night and will train again tonight [Thursday] so we are fortunate that when they got it, they were still able to train twice this week."
READ MORE: Top Bombers to miss Clarence clash
Saturday's test at the Tigers' home ground, Twin Ovals, pits two of the competition's unbeaten sides against each other and could see former AFL players Thurlow and Kieran Lovell go head-to-head.
Both sides have been highly-fancied by their competition rivals, making for what should be a mouthwatering clash.
"Our players are really stimulated by wanting to play the best sides and going down there against the Tigers, who have started the year really well, we rate them and respect them," Thorp said.
"They gave us some challenges last year, they've added to their midfield and bolstered their forward line with two key forwards in front of the ball that are taking a lot of contested marks and hitting the scoreboard."
Lovell is averaging 32 disposals so far this season, so Thorp is hoping to "not let him run around", while Tyler Carter and new recruit Jack Tomkinson have looked strong up forward.
Similar to the Blues, the Tigers have been gradually rising up the ladder under the leadership of coach Trent Baumeler, with Thorp having praised the side several times in the past few seasons.
"I think they are a great example of what can be achieved with State League football teams and environments," he said.
"They are really connected as a unit, you can tell by the way they play.
"They are really well-led, we rate their captain Lochie Clifford really highly, he plays the right way and is a little bit like Jobi [Harper] in a sense of he runs in straight lines, he's really competitive and their brand is built around that behaviour."
"We forecast them to be there when the whips are cracking."
Although the sides look rather different this season, Tigers coach Baumeler admitted his side will take some confidence from pushing the Blues in 2021.
"We know that our best and what we can do can match them but we've just got to be able to do it consistently," Baumeler said.
"That's the thing with Launnie, you've got to be able to do it for the whole two hours, you can't have lapses."
Since joining the State League, the Tigers have only defeated Launceston once, bettering them by 15 points at Twin Ovals in 2018.
Last season they got within 13 points, so Baumeler is trusting his systems to push them to their limits again.
"There were some good things that we did that we felt troubled them but it's a different year, so we've just got to try and play our way, which is the most important thing, and then take away what Launnie want from the game," he said.
"It's sort of that 80-20 rule, concentrate 80 per cent on us and be very aware of the things that Launceston do well and try and take away what they do well."
The Tigers have seen off challenges from fellow Southern sides Lauderdale and Clarence but Baumeler made sure to stop short of putting any extra pressure on his players heading into the Launceston clash.
"Obviously there's a little bit more hype around this week because Launnie are the two-time reigning premiers and we've started 2-0 ... but it's all a little bit irrelevant when the ball goes up at two o'clock," he said.
"We've got to play our way and do our bits and pieces that we want to do to try and challenge them."