High expectations around favourites East Wagga-Kooringal and likely improvers The Rock-Yerong Creek ahead of Farrer League season

But they won't be the only team at Gumly Oval beginning their season amid great expectations with round one opponents The Rock-Yerong Creek also clearly identified as the 'team to watch'.

The Hawks have brought back 2016 premiership players Tim Smith, Luke Cuthbert and Nathan Scott, added Alex Rogers and Ben Cadzow, and topped it off with key position player Jarrad Boumann, who's been on the Western Bulldogs' and Hawthorn's AFL lists.

North Wagga coach Cayden Winter said the runners-up of the previous season are deserving favourites.

"Definitely East Wagga... just with the quality they've picked up and they haven't lost many of their 2019 grand final side so they should be thereabouts when the whips are cracking," Winter said.

Marrar coach Shane Lenon, The Rock-Yerong Creek's Brad Aiken, Coleambally's Curtis Steele, Temora's Jake Wooden and Barellan's Alex Lawder are also particularly wary of the Hawks.

EWK coach Matt Hard was non-plussed.

"We haven't played in 18 months and all we've got is names on paper so to me it's got no meaning whatsoever," Hard said, adding that they have "a hell of a lot of work to do out at East Wagga" yet.

He's wary of Coleambally and North Wagga but rates the Bombers as the big danger.

"I think Marrar will be thereabouts. Obviously Jim Lawton is a very handy player and (Jack) Reynolds and those sorts of kids they've got are some top-flight players," Hard said.

Hard expects they'll get a good gauge of their own standing against the 'Pies on Saturday. He was one of many to rate TRYC as the danger side.

"We've got a tough one first up, they've brought in some really quality footballers and we don't know a lot about their depth so it's going to be a hard one first up," Hard said.

Barellan's Lawder, who travelled from Canberra for the season launch, is hoping the Two Blues will prove the surprise packet. But he said two of the key contenders have a big advantage

"The way I look at it, I think East Wagga and Marrar (shape as the teams to beat), purely on experience, and experienced coaches," Lawder said.

"Getting used to their systems, for a lot of teams with newer coaches it takes time to build things.

"But off a COVID year, it's hard to get a gauge on a lot of teams. It'll be interesting. I think after rounds five or six, it'll be interesting to see where some teams are sitting."

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