When Oxley Vale Attunga coach Tim Coates describes round four Australia Cup opponents Coffs Coast Tigers as "one of the better teams in country football" he isn't just flattering the opposition.
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Coates and the Mushies know first hand just how good a side the Tigers are.
They bumped them out of the competition last year with a comprehensive 9-2 victory in Tamworth.
"We had our worst day ever," Coates reflected ahead of Saturday's clash, which will be played over in Coffs Harbour.
That wasn't to take anything away from the coastal side, who were, he acknowledged at the time, "quality across the pitch" and "very well-drilled".
As is the way of country football both sides will likely look a little bit different to 12 months ago, but the Tigers' form in the competition so far would suggest not too much has changed.
After accounting for Demon Knights 3-nil they walloped Hillvue 12-nil last weekend.
"Obviously they're a very good attacking side," Coates said.
"We beat Bellingen 5-1. I don't know what the parallels are out of that.
"We'll just go over and do the best we can and see where that result lands."
They won't take over a full strength side.
Midfielder Riley Russell is unavailable as he is on his honeymoon after getting married during the week. But they do welcome back Sam Higgins and Glenn McKnight with Coates singling out the former as having an important role to play in containing the Tigers' attack.
"I just think it's about being compact against these guys. They can hurt you from all over the field if they're anything like they were last year," he said.
"Last year they they built pressure from the centre of midfield so our emphasis will be on Lachlan Browne, and Sam Higgins doing their job very compactly.
"And then the rest of the team will just have to build on that."
The game is scheduled to kick-off at 5pm.
If the Mushies should get the win then they will replicate their effort from last year in reaching round five. It was the furthest a team from the Northern Inland has ever been in the competition.
