The hype for Sunday’s NRL decider is building in Sydney and this morning the Warriors and the Manly Sea Eagles came face to face – over breakfast.
The traditional Grand Final breakfast is broadcast live on Australian television and watched by hundreds of thousands of fans.
But if the Warriors were feeling the pressure of the occasion, they weren’t showing it.
“I got a text from my wife saying, ‘How come the Manly boys look so serious and you are all mucking around?’ That’s just the kind of team we are,” says Warriors hooker Aaron Heremaia.
The festivities continued at a spectacular fan day at Darling Harbour, where thousands of supporters gathered for the teams’ final public appearance before they take the field on Sunday.
Bennett: Warriors won’t be intimidated
The man with the premiership Midas touch, Wayne Bennett, says Manly would be foolish to believe they could bash their way to an NRL grand final victory over the tough Warriors on Sunday.
Manly have a massive grand final experience edge over the New Zealanders, who are searching for the club's first premiership.
The Sea Eagles have muscled their way through to the last Sunday of the season with a mix of aggression and intimidation, allowing rookie halfback Daly Cherry-Evans to forge a strong combination with classy Kiwi five-eighth Kieran Foran.
But Bennett, who's won a record seven premierships over the past 20 years and who worked with the New Zealand Test side during their successful 2008 World Cup campaign, says the Warriors will welcome any attempt to test their toughness on Sunday.
"Manly like to play tough and they do it very, very well," Bennett told AAP.
"But the thing about the Warriors, it's part of their manhood, toughness is the last thing they fear or lack.
"You can't say that style or tactic is going to be a factor in Manly's favour on Sunday, because it's not.
"You see (Manu) Vatuvei and Sam Rapira, those guys are just fearless the way they run at you and hit you. They love it, that part of the game won't be a problem."
But Bennett said on form and on what they'd shown so far in the finals, Manly deserved to be favourites.
"You can't really do more than what Manly have done," he said.
"But if the Warriors we've seen in the last week-and-a-half turn up on Sunday, then we'll have ourselves a grand final.
"If it's the Warriors we saw in (week one of the finals) in Brisbane (a 40-10 loss) and a few times during the season, then you know it's just not going to happen for them.
"That's their big challenge, which team turns up on the day."
3 News / NZN