Maurice Leggett is known for being a good communicator.

The big smile he sported after Wednesday's Winnipeg Blue Bombers practice clearly showed he's happy to be back in the lineup for Thursday's home-opener against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The team's defensive player of the year last season missed last week's season-opening 30-26 win over Saskatchewan and Winnipeg's exhibition loss against Hamilton because of an undisclosed injury.

"I'm excited, I know that," Leggett said with a chuckle. "It's been a long time coming, just sitting here watching my teammates go through battle without me. I just wanted to be back helping the defence excel."

His teammates are equally glad he's back.

"He's making a huge difference just by being vocal and he's flying around to the ball," linebacker Chris Randle said.

And communication is something the Bombers defence can improve upon, he added.

"I think we've been getting better each game, but with him coming back it'll just add another level to our intensity and us paying attention to it and communicating well," Randle said.

Winnipeg lost its exhibition game at home 26-15 to the Ticats, with quarterback Zach Collaros guiding Hamilton's offence to a 20-7 lead before head coach Kent Austin pulled him with about six minutes left in the first half.

But Collaros and the offence didn't have the most productive outing in a 24-23 loss to Calgary last week. The Ticats had a pair of touchdowns from a punt return and interception, while Stampeders kicker Rene Paredes booted a 50-yard field goal as time expired for the win.

The Bombers are coming off their first win in Regina in 11 years.

While it was a great start to the season, head coach Mike O'Shea said the defence will have to play "mistake-free" against Hamilton compared to their performance versus the Riders.

Leggett will go back on the roster in place of rookie Demetrius Wright and that should have a positive impact, O'Shea said.

"He's familiar with the players around him," O'Shea said. "Part of being a safety is understanding who you're playing with and making sure you communicate well with them.

"I think Moe Leggett has an advantage over a younger safety in terms of that, just the communication. That'll be more effective."

The Riders rushed for 212 yards against Winnipeg, but Hamilton is expected to key on its passing game rather than rookie running back Ray Holley.

Collaros can be lethal, Leggett said.

"He'll lull you to sleep with the quick plays and then actually make the big plays by extending them," he said.

But Bombers quarterback Drew Willy is coming off the game in Regina with a hot hand.

He completed 22-of-25 pass attempts for 325 yards and three TDs, an 88 per cent completion rate that set a new Bombers' single-game record.

"We were being efficient as an offence, taking what (the Riders) gave us and then just going through our reads," Willy said.

"Sometimes you get hot out there and it doesn't really matter what the defence does, it's just as an offence everyone is playing to their highest level."

Continuing where they left off would be nice against Hamilton, but he knows its defence is tough.

"They're a good bunch. There's a reason they've been to two straight Grey Cups," Willy said.