COCK-A-HOOP: The Roosters will be out to complete their undefeated season on Sunday
THE first entry in the rugby league book of cliches reads: "grand finals aren't played on paper."
That's the message that is being drummed into the Darlington Point Coleambally under 16s side before their clash against Tullibigeal Lakes United this Sunday at EW Moore Oval.
Entering the decider as warm favourites, the Roosters bring with them an imposing undefeated record in 2012, subsequently picking up the minor premiership, with two draws the closest they have come to not singing their team song.
DPC coach Graham Carroll said mentally his side will be in the right frame if they are to finish off what they have started this season.
"They are confident, but not overconfident" Carroll said.
"I think at this stage they know everybody is out to try and knock them off their perch and I just have got to keep them in the right frame of mind.
"We've been going back to the basics and sticking to the game plan that's worked for most of this year.
"And some of the first graders like Kodie (Charles) and Luke Gras have been coming down to training to help me out and keep the guys settled down and concentrating."
TLU coach Don Ridley said he will look to motivate his young side by giving them the task of starting the day off on the right note for the club.
"If we can cut our mistakes out and get a good kick-chase going then I think we'll apply a bit of pressure on them," Ridley said.
"We made a lot of mistakes last week, but hopefully we've got them out of the way before the weekend."
"We gave away a couple of penalties late when we played them in the semi-final and gave them a bit of a leap-frog up the field , and we couldn't hold them out any longer.
"But to me the biggest thing ahead of the weekend, all undefeated sides have to be beaten at some point, and on top of that, we've got three sides from Lake in the grand finals, so we really want to start the day off on the right foot."
In its semi-final, DPC was able to wrap up the game 11-0 with the score still being nil-all with 10 minutes remaining, and because of that Carroll conceeded the Sharks are circling before the weekend.
"They are catching up a bit, we had that draw and then they got the win reasonably well out at the Point," he said.
"But the semi-final game against them at West Wyalong was one of the best under 16s games I have ever seen.
"It was nil-all at half-time and I told them in the next 10 minutes go out there and stick to our defensive plan and they managed to do that."
DPC Matty Wilson was hospitalised with sickness but is fine to play, while TLU props Josh Cahill and Jack Kelly and five-eighth Keiren Fair will be players to watch out for.