Orange sits second on the table and has only lost one game this season, but Pearce said the Tigers have been plagued by inconsistency in several of their matches.

 None more so than last weekend’s clash with the cellar-dwelling Young Saints, when the Tigers were forced to come from behind at three-quarter-time to win.

Cowra have won just one game this season and Orange defeated the Blues by 154 points in round one. 

Despite the thrashing last time the two teams met, Pearce was loathe to underestimate the former CWAFL powerhouse.

“We’re a better side than we showed last weekend,” Pearce said.

“Cowra will be a different side to the one we played in round one, and I’m expecting a physical, fast-paced game which could be exactly what we need to hopefully play with some consistency.

“It has been hard to gain the consistency we want with the draw being bye heavy. In saying that, if we stick to our structures and game plans those bye weeks really shouldn’t affect us too much.”

Orange welcomes back almost a dozen of its stars absent from last weekend’s game and Pearce said the inclusions would give his team a confidence boost.

“We are still missing several of our most crucial midfielders,” he said, highlighting Josh Bubnich and Michael Rothnie as the players the Tigers will miss the most.

“But we’ll have a good, strong 22 named and I think [today’s] game should be a really good challenge for us.”

Pearce said the Tigers would look for a strong performance leading into next weekend’s general bye, before their top of the table clash against the undefeated Bathurst Bushrangers in round eight.

The Tigers host the Blues at Country Club Oval, first bounce is at 2.30pm.