MARRAR coach Shane Lenon is confident the Bombers are a much-improved team to the one that lost to The Rock-Yerong Creek earlier in the season.
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The Magpies are the only team to get the better of Marrar this season so far, ending the Bombers' 30-game unbeaten streak at Langtry Oval with a 23-point victory.
The two teams will come together for the first time since at Victoria Park on Sunday in a rare Sunday Farrer League game.
Marrar have won seven straight since the Magpies loss and Lenon is confident they will prove tougher opposition the second time around.
"It's always nice to go into a finals series knowing that you've beaten every side during the home and away and I suppose it's not the end of the world if you don't but from experience, it's always nice to have beaten the sides you're going to play in the finals and The Rock are going to be in it up to their ears," Lenon said.
"Obviously they showed us up in round one, they were way too good on the day and thoroughly deserved their win but I think we've improved since then and we'll find out on Sunday how far we've come.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead."
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Lenon said the Bombers' pressure is the main thing that needs to improve from the last time they took on the Magpies.
"When we play our best footy we apply high pressure and we share the workload and we were probably down in those areas and our ball use wasn't great either but that's credit to The Rock and the pressure they applied as well," he said.
"There were a few areas that we certainly let ourselves down in that day."
Marrar will have Blake Walker, Jack McPherson, Nick Cooper and Josh O'Callaghan all available for selection on Sunday after missing last week's win over North Wagga.
Walker himself hasn't played since the opening round draw with East Wagga-Kooringal, when he picked up a knee injury.
The Bombers will be without assistant coach Cal Gardner after he was unable to overcome a bad cork in time for the clash, as well as the unavailable Angus Kent and Zac Lewis.
Chris O'Donnell is also racing the clock with a bad cork but is expected to play.
"We had a pretty light night on Tuesday, our main session will be Friday night, our Canberra boys will be coming to train, which is a positive, we'll have a good session and pick the side," Lenon said.
Lenon was also pleased to be involved in what is a big day for the Magpies. It will be same day junior football and netball where the Magpies will take on Wagga Swans and Marrar across two grounds at The Rock.
"It's great that we can be a part of it, good on The Rock for doing what they're doing," he said.
"It's obviously going to be a big day for them and it's great that we can play a part in being involved and it works out perfectly for us to coincide with the Wagga Swans, who we've created a positive pathway with."
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