While early rounds threatened major upsets, with the Crookwell Dogs faltering and Bungendore struggling, the competition has since stabilised and fallen into the same pattern as 2018.

Which, of course, includes the ever-present dominance of the Taralga Tigers.

Rather than running rampant through the competition, the Tiger possess an icily focused demeanour. This year's premiership is theirs for the taking, and they know it.

But by no means is this a given. Crookwell recently strung together five wins in a row, while the Batemans Bay Boars (who Taralga play this Saturday) have proven repeatedly that they can beat any team on their day.

However, after nine rounds, the Tigers are undefeated on top of the ladder with nine wins. Each of these wins, while ruthless, was completed with the efficiency of a team which is operating at peak cohesiveness.

This is shown by their for and against margins. Taralga have a differential of 264 points, the most in the competition, while the Jindabyne Bushpigs are close behind, with 249. In third is Batemans Bay, with 83.

The key difference between the top two sides is their wins and losses.

Jindabyne currently possess a win-loss record of 6-3, and many of their wins have come by way of landslides, such as their 48-0 defeat of Broulee in round eight, or their 57-0 defeat of Yass in round four.

Taralga, meanwhile, haven't quite achieved the same skyscraper-esque scoring as the Bushpigs, but have managed strong totals against every team they play. In fact, the Tigers have yet to score less than 31 points in a game in 2019.

The consistency and potency of Taralga's offence, when combined with a miserly defence, has allowed them to continue their dominant form on from 2018.

However, they will be fronted with a significant challenge this Saturday against the Boars. Batemans Bay come into the match in red-hot form after their defeat of Crookwell, which ended the Dogs' five match winning streak.

The match will be played from 2.30pm at the Taralga Sports Field.