This is the clash all Murray Football League fans have been waiting for.
Tongala, who many dubbed the overwhelming premiership favourite in the pre-season, will make the trek to Cobram’s Scott Oval to face a Tigers team whose form-line to begin 2022 can only be described as scary.
After going undefeated in 2021 and beginning the new year 7-0, the Blues make the trip to Cobram with an imposing 20-consecutive wins behind them.
But for coach Jordan Soutar and his squad full of stars, they clearly understand this will be the biggest challenge of their winning streak.
“We are excited for it, obviously it is going to be a massive challenge for us with them being the pick of the bunch in the competition at the moment,” Soutar said.
“It is going to be a little bit different playing on their bigger ground, so we will just have to tinker with a few game plan things and go up their with the confidence that we can get the job done.”
Soutar said the start of the contest would be absolutely critical, with the focus being to make sure the red-hot Tigers don’t get the game on their own terms early.
“We are going to have to bring our team-first attitude with the footy, there are a lot of things we are going to have to do right to come away with the win,” he said.
“As long as we are in the game early and that our mindset and intensity is up early, which I couldn’t see being an issue, I think the key will just be putting them under pressure and taking the game deep into the last quarter.”
Despite sporting an undefeated record, Soutar admits his side still hasn’t fully hit its straps and hopes this is the week everything completely comes together.
“We are travelling not too bad at the moment, I feel the last couple of weeks we have gotten back to our best footy against Moama and Finley, we are definitely turning the corner,” he said.
“With a lot of blokes coming in and out each week, we probably haven’t quite been at our absolute best, but we are hoping that we can put our best foot forward this week.
“Coming in as underdogs for the first time in a while it is going to be quite different, so we look forward to a cracking game of footy.”
As for what a win on Saturday afternoon would mean for his troops, he said it would provide a major confidence boost.
“It would be very important (to come away with a win), it wouldn’t be the absolute end of the world if we didn’t win, but it would be good to get a win over them and boost the confidence.”
In terms of team news, Tongala will be without Darren Ewing due to work commitments in Darwin, while there is still a number of potential additions up in the air.
Around the grounds, Mulwala will welcome Deniliquin Rams in what is another intriguing top-four battle.
The Lions have done what they have needed to do over the first seven weeks, reeling off seven wins to be sitting in third on the Murray League table.
The Rams on the other hand have been clinical in their efforts to begin the season, with an after-the-siren loss to Numurkah in round six the only blemish on their record.
Congupna will be hoping to make it three wins on the trot as it hosts a Barooga side fresh off a much-needed victory against Rumbalara last weekend.
Both looking to bounce back after crushing defeats to Mulwala and Cobram in the split round, Moama and Numurkah face off at Jack Eddy Oval in what is a must-win game.
Nathalia will be eyeing off its second win of the season as it welcomes cellar-dweller Echuca United.
Finley rounds out the weekend’s Murray League action with a clash against a struggling Rumbalara outfit.