Wagga Tigers will go into Saturday's inaugural Riverina Championship grand final a slight favourite against Leeton Whitton at Robertson Oval.
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The Tigers have named an unchanged side for the clash. They were first into the decider after they held off the Crows by just three points in the second semi-final.
The Crows bounced back in impressive fashion last week when they defeated GGGM by 41 points and will fancy their chances of an upset.
Wagga won last year's Riverina FL grand final, while Leeton Whitton was at the opposite end of the table finishing last.
The Crows' re-emergence has come from the return of several locals whose playing plans were put on hold following the COVID-19 chaos.
Many of the returning locals played a big part in the Crows' most recent premiership in 2017, when they beat Collingullie Glenfield Park by six points.
Ruckman Mason Dryburgh, Tyh Evans, Hugh Collins, Cooper Sharman and Jayden Lehman all returned due to the cancellation of other leagues.
Sharman, the leading goalkicker for the league, has caught the eye of talent scouts and if he gets loose up forward the Tigers could pay dearly with his superb skills.
The Wagga side has a real Holbrook flavor to it with Corey McCarthy and Jim Grills living and working in the town and 2021 recruit Luke Gestier all part of the Tiger flag bid.
Grills, one of the best Polocrosse players in the world, has tasted premiership success with Albury Tigers on three occasions after playing his early days in Holbrook.
2019 Jim Quinn Medal winner Jesse Manton looms as a wildcard up forward for Wagga, with midfield bulls Shaun Campbell and Lahn Shepherd supplying him.
The trump card for Wagga taking home the title could well lay with Albury Tigers premiership stars Brayden O'Hara and Jake Gaynor.
O'Hara has played in seven senior premierships - four at Albury and three with Central Districts in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).
Gaynor starred in Albury's 2018 premiership win is returning home to the Tiger den, where he played all his junior and early senior football.
The grand final with COVID crowd restrictions (limited to 1600) was sold out in just 30 minutes earlier in the week.
The match will be broadcast live on 675 AM ABC Riverina and 106.5 Goulburn Murray FM from 2pm.
