The Roos last round notched a 134-point victory against the struggling Tocumwal Bloods, thanks largely to an eight-goal haul from Ricky Waters and outstanding performances from Dylan and Andrew May.
Despite the big win Bode said his side can improve on their efforts and expects his troops to be at their best this week.
‘‘At our absolute best we are a really good side,’’ he said.
‘‘There are four points on the line and we’re going in to win them.
‘‘We don’t want to be a respectable second and I’m confident that if we play our best footy then we will win.
‘‘We’ve had tough challenges against Rennie and Berrigan and we dropped those games, so we need to bounce back against another top side.
‘‘The last time we played Waaia they embarrassed us so it’s crucial we step up.’’
The Bombers have five wins to their name from five outings, and put their feet up with a bye last week.
The side has conceded just 202 points for the season and will look to shut down Deniliquin’s attacking power.
Mark Meyland will be attempting to get off the leash up the other end of the ground for Waaia though, with 19 goals to his name from just four matches this year.
The Roos will welcome Caleb Pannell back into the side this week, with assistant coach Djaran Whyman set to sit out the important clash.
‘‘With the bye coming up next week we decided that it was best for Djaran to rest for a little bit longer,’’ Bode said.
‘‘We had Dyl Kerr return for us last week and it was good to have him back.
‘‘He won plenty of the ball and was a standout, so he’s added a bit of extra spark in the middle.
‘‘Waaia’s only lost one game in the past two years, so there’s a big incentive for us to win.
‘‘We should meet these challenges head on if we want to be a contender,’’ he said.
Selection: Waaia by 25 points.
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