The unfurling of the premiership flag - their first senior success in a quarter of a century - will add to a fierce local derby but will no doubt bring back bittersweet feelings for Nathan Dennis, who missed that entire season due to a knee reconstruction.

"It was exciting at the time to see the club win but it hurt too. You sit back on silly Sunday and watch the boys with their medals and that... it's not upsetting, but it's a bit of a blow," Dennis acknowledged.

The Saints forward shared in the pain of losing to Marrar in 2018 and was expected to spearhead their campaign playing deep forward the following season.

It was going to plan, for the first minute or so anyway.

"It was the first goal of the game, against Barellan, right there in that square," he says, pointing to the southern end at McPherson.

"I snapped it on the left and just got nudged. It was in the first two minutes and now it's been two years out.

"But to have that team at the start of the year that you think you can go all the way, and for them to actually win it, it just makes you that hungry to hook in this year."

Dennis, 22, said he couldn't be fresher after COVID doubled his enforced break from football, and the extra rehab on his knee means he's raring to go.

North Wagga expect the Hawks to be a vastly different proposition to Temora, where the Saints started their season with a 123-point win last week.

"Our team's spread evenly all over the park. We didn't have any standouts last week and to come out and do that gives us a lot of confidence, because we weren't really sure how we were going to go," Dennis said, recognising the number of changes since 2019.

"It'll be a good test for us this weekend against East Wagga. I think that first quarter, when that siren goes, it'll be a finals atmosphere. Every year our first game against East Wagga is a bit of a grudge match and we've got to be there ready to go.

"I think it'll be the team that steadies first will win. But I'm keen, keen to hook in."

With Daniel Jordan returning this season, Dennis will work in tandem with the big forward.

He said having coach Cayden Winter's confidence will help him trust his instincts and back himself.

The Saints are likely to welcome Corey Watt and Steve Barnes into the senior team after both eased into the season through seconds last week.

The Hawks have plenty to prove too after being upset at home by The Rock-Yerong Creek in their season-opener last week.

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