AT the start of the season few, if any, would’ve been bold enough to predict reigning Central West AFL champions Orange Tigers being on level pegging with competition newcomers Bathurst Giants when they met for the first time.

That’s the scenario facing both sides in tomorrow’s round five match-up at Bathurst’s George Park though.

Both the Tigers and the Giants remain winless after the opening four rounds, so are the Dubbo Demons and Young Saints - the other two sides making up the current bottom four.

Incredibly, all of the top four sides - both Bathurst Bushrangers sides, Parkes and Cowra - remain unbeaten.

Tigers coach Nathan Pearce and co-captain Mick Rothnie are confident their side won’t be the Giants’ first victim, they certainly don’t want to be anyway.

“I’m confident if we play our footy, we’ll beat anyone ... if we can’t do it this weekend, the Giants will get their first win. Do I want that to happen? Absolutely not,” Pearce said.

“If we can come into this game with the same physicality we had last week we shouldn’t have a problem. But being their first year in the senior competition we’ll be expecting everything from the Giants,” Rothnie added.

“They’ve got a very knowledgeable coach in Mark Kennedy, who I’ve learnt a bit off as well. I know he’ll be doing the right things to kick start their season as well.”

The three-time-consecutive champions will be without vice-captain Zac Forostenko, who injured his shoulder last weekend in his comeback game from the same injury, and star on-baller Mitch McKenna.

“It’s been the story of our year. We’ve had six or seven out most weeks. It’s just impossible to get that consistency,” Pearce said.

“Even in our premiership years, we had changes, but it was only ever one or two, week-to-week. We’re lacking that consistency.”

“(The changes are a shame because) it’s at that stage where the boys are starting to know how each other play and what they’re capable of,” Rothnie said.

“That chemistry is the only thing we need to grab our first win and I feel like we’re close. Hopefully we’ll do that this weekend and then look at it from there.”

First bounce at George Park is at 2.30pm.