The reigning premiers have been strengthened with the return of some key players in recent weeks and coach Errol Bourn said his side needed to keep on winning to hang onto top spot.

"We've got a bye in the last round which is not convenient but we have to keep on winning and we don't like to lose at West Park," Bourn said.

"We've got a fairly good side in this week so you have to be confident but not too cocky," he said.

Bourn said the return of Clinton Stretton, Matthew Wooldridge, Adam Bester, Brent Archer and Nigel White over recent weeks had strengthened the side.

"That's our spine and if you take that out of any team then you struggle and we had a couple of lean weeks but look stronger at the moment," he said.

Burnie will also be bolstered for today's game with the return of Tassie Mariner Jason Howard and Andrew Herring from a calf injury.

"We've still got our captain Kurt Harnett to come back in a couple of weeks from a knee injury and Brennan Reeves from stress fractures and if the Devils don't make the finals we will have Clinton Brown and Ben Britton back," Bourn said.

Ulverstone coach Max Brown said the sixth-placed Robins would love pull off a win against Burnie to assist its finals hopes.

"If we can jag a win it would help us greatly in our quest to get that last remaining finals berth but we know it's going to be a difficult assignment against the top side at home," Brown said.

"We're not quite there with our best side on paper but our form in the last month suggests we can give a big effort tomorrow."

Brown said the Robins form had been indifferent at the start of the season and patchy since then but had improved in the past four matches.

"Whilst it is still hard to get wins at least we've won three out of our last four and our injury list is not as severe," he said.

Brown said that South Launceston would be favourite to retain fifth spot on the NTFL ladder at this stage but the Robins would be going all out to win as many games as possible to try to grab it off them.

NTFL SENIOR LADDER (after Round 13) W L D PC Pts BURNIE 10 2 0 187.2 40 BOMBERS 10 2 0 179.4 40 BLUES 9 2 0 169.9 36 DEVONPORT 8 4 0 175.7 32 SOUTH 7 5 0 88.5 28 Ulverstone 6 5 0 109.4 24 Wynyard 6 6 0 93.8 24 Latrobe 3 9 0 79.8 12 Smithton 2 10 0 61.6 8 East Dport 2 10 0 57.4 8 Penguin 2 10 0 44.6 8 LEADING GOALKICKERS 64: N. White (Burnie) 10; 51: A. Derbyshire (Launceston)*; 43: M. Langmaid (Devonport) 4; 36: S. Moran (Wynyard) -; 33: D. Freshney (South Launceston) -; 31: D. Medwin (Smithton) 1; 29: G. Sharman (Wynyard) 3, R. Colbeck (Devonport) 5; 27: N. Williams (Ulverstone) 2; 24: M. Smith (Burnie) 3.