Wagga United have kept a relatively low profile over the off-season but will unveil a new look team when they open the season against Leeton United at Rawlings Park on Sunday.

Prince Thompson will return to Wagga United from Wagga City Wanderers this season, while the club is also thrilled about the arrival of Matthew Crawford from Port Macquarie.

United's goalkeeping stocks have also been boosted by the return of Mitch de Bruyn, while Moses Adesola is also back after a short move to Tasmania.

The fresh races along with a new season has Weir full of optimism on top of a new game plan that Wagga United will take into round one.

"We've got a new system that we're going to play," Weir revealed.

"We haven't played it for a few years and a few years ago it really caused some trouble for some good sides.

"Obviously it didn't work real well when we went to Hanwood over in Griffith to play it, so we'll have to tinker it a tiny bit against them but our midfield is probably the best I've seen it for four or five years so that's encouraging."

Wagga United will get a good gauge of where they are at immediately when they face a Leeton United team that has been tipped to be the competition's big improvers on the back of the recruitment of Henri and Fred Gardner.

"I think they'll be really strong," Weir said.

"Last year they started the season really strong and were even doing well in the Waratah Cup, I think they played in so I expect a really tough game.

"We want to get a result, as always. I don't think the competition is too lopsided where teams will just go out and dominate. I thought Griffith dominated early on last year but then teams upped the ante a bit, which is good.

"I think it will be pretty tough. The Gardner boys are good, (Adam) Raso's good and they'll have a fairly strong midfield and a pretty dominant backline. We just want to try and control the ball and impress where we can.

"We know a lot of teams that have the Gardners, they do try to look long but that's probably not Leeton's type of football so it will be interesting to see what happens."

Weir is a big fan of the Gardner brothers and won a premiership alongside them years ago. He expects they will make a massive difference to an already competitive Leeton team.

"They were a good side anyway. But Henri and Fred, they're bloody good footballers so they will bring a lot of quality," he said.

"I've played with them before when we won a comp with them and they are some of the best players to train with just with the intensity they bring.

"I speak pretty highly of those two. They've obviously gone to other clubs and it's not worked very well for them but we never had an issue with the boys."

READ MORE