Of course there's the gaping hole he'll need to fill following the retirements of club greats Steve McCallum and Grant Smith last season.

He'll also be without 2017 Paul McGregor Medalist Wayne Bremner. It would lead many feeling behind the 8-ball, but Lennon has a far more positive take.

"I'm pretty excited, there's been a really good vibe around the place," Lennon said.

"Obviously losing Brem, Tower [McCallum] and Smitty, they leave a gaping hole but we've been able to fill it with guys with pretty good experience levels there. We all knew last year that those guys came back for one last dig so we knew we'd be starting afresh this year.

"We've managed to get some guys from Ron Massey-NSW Cup level and there's a really different feeling this year. They've played high levels of footy but they've been leaders at all the clubs they've been at.

"They'e just come in and fitted in well with the group we've got. All the boys are already looking up to them and they've almost filled that void straight away.

"We've got a few other key positions we've been able to fill so, realistically, we should be stronger this year than we were at this time last year which is all you can ask."

Having rejigged the roster ahead of 2019, Lennon feels the Tigers will have a more balanced roster, with the likes of Luke Williams, Kurt Atkinson, Neihana Walters and Arnold Woulf bringing a level of class and experience.

After struggling to get a full squad on the park through preseason, Lennon is looking forward to seeing them all in action for the first time against Dapto at Rex Jackson Oval on Saturday.

"Just the talk they bring and level of knowledge they have has helped a lot," Lennon said.

"It's just a more professional approach to our footy this year. A lot of guys we brought in last year we've let go. It was a conscious decision on our part, they just didn't fit the mould of what we were looking for.

"We changed our tact a little bit this year and looked for those more senior guys from higher levels of footy to fill the holes left. I think we've recruited with a bit more of a plan in mind and it seems to have come together pretty well.

"We didn't perform that well in the trials but we couldn't get our whole team on the park either. This weekend will be the first time we've been full strength so it'll be interesting to see what we can put together."

The 2015 premiers have gone without finals for the past two seasons and Lennon said sights remain set on a finals return in 2019, and he's confident they can leave a mark if they get there.

"If you can make that top four everyone's got a puncher's chance," he said.

"The way the comp's structured, if we can make that four we give ourselves every opportunity to pull an upset.

"With those guys we've recruited, they aren't going to settle for close enough being good enough. We're setting higher standards for ourselves and hoping that flows through onto the paddock."