Fringe Test quick Jackson Bird took five wickets for Tasmania as NSW batted twice in a day in bowler-friendly conditions at Bellerive Oval.
The Blues were bowled out for 208 after tea on day three of their Sheffield Shield clash in Hobart and made to follow on by Tigers skipper George Bailey.
They were 2-50 at stumps, still trailing Tasmania by 104 runs.
Bird kept his name in the minds of national selectors with a first-innings haul of 3-65 and two late scalps.
He was on a second-innings hat-trick when he trapped Daniel Hughes lbw in front and Nick Larkin edged behind to wicketkeeper Jake Doran.
Larkin had the misfortune of getting a pair in one day, after Gabe Bell had him nicking to slip for a duck in the morning session.
"I feel I'm bowling as well as I ever have," Bird said.
"It's coming out nicely. It's nice to be able to contribute at the right times.
"Our lengths were really good. We bowled fuller and attacked the stumps."
Tasmania will be hoping forecast showers on Wednesday stay away as they push for an unlikely victory after wild weather washed out the opening day.
The Tigers declared overnight at 4-392 and quickly made inroads with a swinging ball, reducing NSW to 3-4 under gloomy skies.
Veteran Ed Cowan (67) and former Test wicketkeeper Peter Nevill (38) mounted a mini-revival with a 73-run partnership either side of tea.
Cowan - last season's leading Shield run-scorer - was clean bowled by a Bird inswinger, while Nevill (38) scooped an easy leg-side catch off part-time spinner Beau Webster shortly afterwards.
All-rounder Steve O'Keefe (52 not out) offered some resistance but the tail fell around him.
Bell finished with 3-36.
Opener Jordan Silk had hit his first century for the Tigers in more than four years, while Test discard Matthew Wade smacked a quick-fire 72 late on Monday.
Wade didn't take the field due to illness on day three, with Doran deputising behind the stumps.
