Veteran seamer Jackson Bird has wasted little time making his mark on the Sheffield Shield season, tearing through New South Wales' top order on day two at Ninja Stadium.
Tasmania's all-time leading wicket-taker missed the opening two matches of the campaign with a calf injury, but made up for lost time with a devastating opening spell against the Blues.
The experienced quick removed Test aspirants Sam Konstas and Nick Maddinson for single figures, before adding the prized scalp of Ollie Davies (13) to claim 3-15 from his opening six overs.
Bird's early damage put the Tigers firmly on the front foot after the hosts had earlier posted an imposing first innings total of 427.
He then returned post lunch to remove Lachlan Shaw (45) to finish an outstanding day with 4-39.
Fellow Test hopeful Kurtis Patterson (14) and Shaw temporarily steadied the visitors before Jake Doran produced a spectacular one-handed diving catch down the leg side off Brad Hope to remove Patterson shortly before tea.
Mitch Owen (2-26) and Riley Meredith (1-26) then chimed in during the last session, and by stumps NSW had stuttered to 8-174, still trailing the Tigers by 253 runs when bad light stopped play.
“It's nice to get back out there with the boys. It's been a yeah frustrating little period for me with injury that I had,” Bird said.
“I was surprised that I could actually hit the ball with the bat today, I haven't hit much in the nets so to get a few runs was nice as well.
“But while batting out there, there was certainly a lot still in the wicket if you put the ball in the right areas. That gave us good confidence going into our bowling innings that if we put the ball in the right areas and put enough behind it, we'll get some results.
“I was pretty nervous this morning when we were going out to bowl, which I don't normally do, but it was nice to get a few early ones and then sort of settle into my work.”
Earlier, Tasmania added 92 runs to its overnight total of 5-335, with Hope falling agonisingly short of his third first-class century.
Resuming on 82, the all-rounder was strangled down the leg side by Ben Dwarshuis (4-85), having helped put the Tigers in a commanding position following his partnership with Doran on the opening day.
Dwarshuis had earlier ended the pair's 181-run sixth-wicket stand when Doran (77) sliced a ball to point, before also accounting for Nivethan Radhakrishnan.
A valuable 31-run last-wicket partnership between Gabe Bell and Bird ensured Tasmania pushed beyond the 400-run mark, giving its bowlers an imposing total to defend.
Play resumes on Sunday at 10am.