Tamworth women's coach Rob Mills says their semi-final exploits last season have given them "a new vigor" as they prepare to kick-off their 2023 campaign at the end of the month.
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2022 was a watershed year for the Magpies women, playing finals football for the first time.
Ultimately bowing out in the minor semi-final, they have taken a lot of belief from it, and a strong drive to get another crack.
Mills sees no reason they can't, or go further even.
They've got the talent and the ability; it's just a matter of "putting it out on the field".
It will probably though, he acknowledged, take a bit of time to get them "back to where they were last year".
They have to do a bit of "rebuilding" after losing a few players through different circumstances.
Offsetting that they have picked up quite a few new players, including some young players that are still at school but have a few years of rugby under their belts.
But it will take time for them to learn the Magpies' structures and find their roles. But they'll "get there", he said.
Mills expects them to again have a pretty good forward pack.
At this stage they probably have a few more forwards than backs so one of the jobs will be converting some of those into backs.
He has been happy with what he has seen from them in the pre-season. After contesting the Armidale Knockout they had a good hit-out against Gunnedah on Saturday.
The Red Devils were too strong but Mills said they showed improvement from the knockout.
With just over two weeks now until their season opener against St Albert's on April 22, they are in for plenty of fitness work.
He noted that there were a lot of comments of 'I'm so unfit' as they walked off the field on Saturday. Once they've got that fitness base "everything else" should "come into line".
