ST John's Dubbo duo Matt Burton and Paddy Haycock will once again star for the Western Rams in Sunday's AAMI Under 16 Country Championships final against the Greater Northern Tigers at Tamworth's Scully Park.
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The match, alongside the Rams' final showdown against the Bidgee Bulls, will serve as curtain-raiser for the City-Country Origin fixture later in the afternoon.
Burton will once again captain the side, while Haycock will start as hooker, and the No. 9 said the boys could not wait for the big game.
"Yeah, pretty excited, a bit nervous but you always get nervous before the game," Haycock said.
"It's very good. It's a massive achievement to make it there and a lot of people will be there to watch it."
But 16s coach Jamie Szczerbanik said if the boys were nervous, "they didn't show it at training on Tuesday night".
"They're all pretty switched on, they're excited, but they know the job's not done quite yet, which is good," Szczerbanik said.
"They could've been cocky after the way they won last week but they're not, they're the opposite really."
Last week saw the side dominate their semi-final with a 28-8 win over the East Coast Dolphins at Dubbo's Caltex Park. But Haycock admitted it was not a perfect performance from the Rams, with "a few mistakes" they had worked on fixing throughout the week.
"Just ball carrying, too many dropped balls and just sort of simple things like that," Haycock said.
"We've spoken at training about champion players versus champion teams, we're lucky not have any of [the former], they all put the team first," Szczerbanik said.
"We're confident (because of that)."
The Rams now take on Greater Northern on their home turf, after the Tigers claimed a come-from-behind 28-24 win over Bidgee Bulls in the second semi-final.
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"I guess it does [give them an advantage] but they're also a pretty good side so it'll be a tough game," Haycock said.
"Just ball control, just hanging onto the ball and they're a good side so we'll just have to play footy."
After a long, arduous campaign, he said the Rams deserve the win.
"We're a pretty good side and we all knew we're a pretty good side... but everybody has been working pretty hard," Haycock said.
"Just how much effort all the boys have put in. It has been good being around the coaching staff - Jamie, Paul and Andrew Poole organising everything. A lot of effort and time.
"They're brilliant. It's very deserved."
o WESTERN RAMS UNDER-16s to play Greater Northern Tigers (12.15pm):
1 Charlie Staines (Forbes Magpies), 2 Jack Isedale (Coonabarabran Unicorns), 3 Zarrin Galea (Narromine Jets), 4 Brock Naden (Wellington Cowboys), 5 Lincoln Monk (Orange CYMS), 6 Matt Burton (captain, St John's Dubbo), 7 Josh Board (Orange CYMS), 8 Luke Bain (Bathurst St Pat's), 9 Paddy Haycock (St John's Dubbo), 10 Matt Nicholson (Red Bend), 11 Hudson Spicer (Orange CYMS), 12 Tyrone Harrison (Orange CYMS), 13 Nathan Swain (Orange CYMS); Bench: 14 Blaine Gordon (South Dubbo), 15 Joey Hobby (Blayney Bears), 16 David White (Condobolin Rams), 17 Zac Cook (Bloomfield Tigers), 18 Jacob Pollard (Cowra Magpies)