They welcome back gun striker Angus Kilkolly, after a yellow-card match suspension, to torment the visitors after scoring a hat-trick in their 4-2 win in Palmy on April 14.
James, born in London, started coaching in his late 20s. He arrived in Hawke's Bay six years ago from Palmerston North, where he had been Red Sox Manawatu coach for a decade but also played for the side, including one season in the Central League.
He mentored footballers at Taradale FC for five years but last winter moved across to Rovers, taking the club's Hawke's Bay Computercare Premiership and division one campaigners to league, Hawke's Bay Knockout Cup and Federation Cup knockout titles as player-coach.
When Chris Greatholder, who was Robertson's assistant, moved to coach Havelock North Wanderers in the Federation League this winter, James jumped at the chance of becoming 2IC in the Central League.
"This year, I've just stepped away from playing and I'm really focused on just coaching," he says, revealing his job encompasses travelling around the lower half of the North Island.
With wife Karina and their two children, Rose, 9, and 15-month-old Hollie, James finds time economy is imperative. He also has an adult son, Jared, 25, who has left the nest to do his own thing.
"You've got to balance the sport and your family as well."
The level of professionalism that Robertson brings to the table has been an eye opener for him at the most elite winter league in the Central/Capital region.
"I've said it to a number of people that he spends a lot of time preparing for not only training sessions but also the game days."
He says considering it's an amateur sport in the Bay, Robertson allocates countless hours researching and ensuring it's a professional-like operation.
"What other club sides do here is an amateur [operation where] you do what you can on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then play on the Saturday," he says, revealing that's the point of difference with the Blues.
He embraces the challenges of limited funds and injection of more home-grown talent in the flagship team.
In fact, James has mentored Ethan Ladd and Karan Mandair through the senior grades.
"In any other team, they'd be classed as younger players but in our group, they're seniors," he says, emphasising they train with the same intensity as everyone else.
Captain Fergus Neil and other seasoned campaigners, such as Chris McIvor and Kilkolly, treat the newbies, including Jorge Akers from Napier Marist, as equals.
"There are no egos. They know as a group they have to battle hard with what they've got.
"As long as there's mutual respect for what we're trying to achieve it makes the job easier," he says, adding the ongoing meetings have set goals an reinforced the values every round.
While Manawatu teams consider themselves underdogs and tend to lift against Bay teams in any code, James says Palmy North Marist, like other Central League sides from there, tend to struggle a little.
"They are always physical sides and they are battlers so they certainly won;t lie down and go right through the game so if we think we're just going to roll over them because we're playing well that's when we'll be caught out so Bill will get them up for the game."
He was mindful they were coming off two wins in their last three outings but echoes Robertson's sentiments that if the Blues play to their potential, they are capable of beating any team in the league, bar Suburbs and second-placed Wairarapa United, who they host in a Chatham Cup round three game next Sunday.
James agrees Western Suburbs, under coach Declan Edge, have set the tone in the league.
"Declan's an interesting character. Whether you like him or not, you've got to put your hand up to say he's doing a great job with the Kiwi youth."
That Edge had paved the path for the likes of Sarpreet Singh to sign up with Wellington Phoenix then as a coach he's accomplishing his duty with aplomb.
"That's what we could do. It's nice to see that these kids are coming through, having a look at Central League and then going on to better things a few years down the track so hats off to him."
While Wairarapa will be another hurdle, James says the beauty of football was there's always another Saturday so the Blues will learn from their mistakes and soldier on.
The squad is lighter with the exodus of players at the end of last season so there's no room for arrogance.
NAPIER CITY ROVERS: Ruben Parker Hanks (GK), 2 Blake Koolen, 5 Matt Bruin, 6 Oliver Coren, 7 Jean-Michel Paulin, 8 Chris McIvor, 9 Angus Kilkolly, 10 Fahad Rwakarambwe, 12 Ethan Ladd, 14 Joshus Stevenson (vc), 15 James Hoyle, 17 Fergus Neil (c), 18 Ross Willox, 20 Charlie Yexley, Kyle Baxter (RGK).
Coach: Bill Robertson.
Ast coach: Stu James.
