Pirates and Narrabri are steeled for a grand old battle.
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The two will do battle at Ken Chillingworth Oval on Saturday to lift Central North's biggest prize – the Heath Shield.
The Blue Boars currently possess it after staving off a late Pirates surge two years ago, and then rolling Moree to claim back-to-back premierships for the first time since the early ’80s.
Then they won three in a row – the feat they will be attempting to emulate on Saturday.
Pirates haven't held the silverware since 2012 when they won the last of their four straight, but will go in favourites after claiming the minor premiership and trouncing the Blue Boars 40-12 in the major semi-final two weeks ago.
Not that that really counts for anything as Pirates coach Mat Kelly has been stressing to his players.
“The boys know they have to work for the full 80 and be disciplined for the full 80,” Kelly said.
“So far we’ve won nothing.”
He said there are no excuses, but added that whatever happens it has been a great year.
“We’ve only had two one-point losses and a draw,” he said.
“To get the home grand final and have three grades in there is fantastic for the club.”
“It just shows how hard everyone has been working.”
Speaking for first grade, he said, they are probably the fittest they have been for a few years.
That's really enabled them to sustain the uptempo game that they thrive on for the 80 minutes.
“We’ve just got to stick to what’s got us this far,” Kelly said.
“That’s been some strong forward plays and the backs putting the finishing touches on.”
Having been there on the big stage before as a player, Kelly spoke about the importance not getting overawed by the occasion and being disciplined.
The latter will be critical to Pirates chances and the main thing that needs to improve from the major semi.
Other than that, and a bit more polish, they don't really need to do anything differently.
“It’s just the finishing touches,” Kelly said.
“We’ve got a terrifically strong side all over the paddock. If we play to our potential then it’s all up to us. It’s ours to lose.”
After missing two weeks ago through injury, Brendan Rixon has been given the all clear and will slot into inside centre.
The Blue Boars likewise will welcome James Thomas back from injury, but coach Nick Lennon has opted to start him off the bench, sticking with Henri Knight at inside centre.
"His (Knight) form warranted his staying there,” Lennon said.
Thomas’ versatility will also offer a lot of options.
Lennon said he can't really put his finger on why they performed so poorly two weeks ago.
The signs were encouraging early with scores locked at 0-all until midway through the first half.
But once Pirates got a roll they just seemed powerless to stop them.
“We're under no illusions,” Lennon said.
“It's got to be a whole team performance. Everyone has to play at the top of their game and do their job.”
The key areas, as far as he is concerned, are their defence and work at the breakdown.
“We must make our first up tackles and we have to be strong at the breakdown,” he said.
Whoever wins that contest, he believes will win.
Pirates won the battle there in the major semi-final and because of that the ball feeding back to the Blue Boars was messy.
They showed against Moree last week what they can do when they do get clean ball.
“We've got a lot of strikepower in the backs but we can't use them if we don't get clean ball,” Lennon said.
He said they have to be stronger over the ball, not be so passive and get the right amount of numbers there.
And when they do get the ball they've got to hold onto it.
They had opportunities in the major semi but they “bombed” them with poor ball security.
Even against the Bulls they muffed a couple of opportunities by coughing up the ball.
“We created lots of opportunities for ourselves,” Lennon said.
“We've got to convert those opportunities into points.”
