The Tigers will have the chance to prove their finals credentials this weekend when they welcome Benalla to Moon Oval.
In the last three encounters between the pair, the Tigers have come away with one win and two losses.
Both of those losses came at home by a combined margin of just 14 points.
Now, the Tigers have a big chance to make it three wins on the trot in 2019, according to coach James Flaherty.
‘‘We usually see a very good game between our two clubs,’’ he said.
‘‘If we want to continue rising up the ladder we need to win this game.
‘‘It’s not going to be easy, but we have confidence in our structures to get the job done.’’
If Rochester is to come away with the four points, it will at least need to break even with the Saints midfield.
Benalla has shown this season its engine room sits among the best in the competition.
‘‘We’ve put a big focus on our accountability through the middle,’’ Flaherty said.
‘‘Our pressure needs to be up so we can limit the opportunities they have going forward.
‘‘They are good enough to make us pay if we allow them to dictate the tempo of the game.’’
Rochester has bounced back after a poor start to the season which saw it lose its first four matches.
In their two recent victories over Shepparton Swans and Shepparton United, the Tigers made the most of their opportunities going forward — a trend they must repeat against Benalla.
‘‘We’ve started to clean up our entries going forward which is a real positive,’’ Flaherty said.
‘‘But we’ve still got plenty of room for improvement.
‘‘We need to be doing it against the best sides in the competition.’’