"They've only had one game in a month and if we can get the momentum going our way early I think it will be very hard for them to turn it around," Thornton said of the 2020 NPL premiers.

However, Thornton said chances would be at a premium and last year's grand final loss proved that if you don't take them then you will be made to pay.

"Edgeworth are a team that are fairly miserly up back, they don't concede too many but there is no doubt we will create chances and if we can take them, especially early, then we can really change the momentum to the match in our favour," he said.

"I feel in last year's grand final we were probably the stronger team in the first half and had some really good chances that we missed and it ended up costing us.

"If we are the team that takes our early chances it will go a long way into ensuring our victory."

Six straight wins, goals to spare and four clean sheets have carried Maitland to a grand final showdown against the Eagles, their 2-0 conquerors in the 2019 decider.

In contrast Edgeworth have had limited preparation going into the match.

They won a penalty shoot-out in the major semi-final over Broadmeadow after a 3-all extra-time thriller two weeks ago and they have had just two games in the previous four weeks including a 2-1 loss to the Magpies in round 12, followed by a 9-0 whitewash of Adamstown.

Thornton believes the Magpies are far better placed to deal with big game pressure than they were in last year's decider.

"The big match experience will benefit the side this year. That grand final experience from last year will help settle the nerves and the younger guys in particular will be able to ease into the match a lot quicker than they did last year," he said.

"I'm sure we are all going to enjoy this week a lot more, we're more settled and ready to go on Sunday.

"We've also got the momentum and confidence from a tough run into the grand final, we've had to win six straight and we know we can get the job done."

Thornton said the Magpies were doing everything right in their recovery and training to ensure they were fresh and full of running.

"I think winning games has a way of keeping you fresh and full of running to the end of games," he said.

"You can't coach momentum and you can't coach confidence - when the team builds both of those they are hard to lose.

"You find ways to win and you enjoy playing more. You feel like you are fresher, you feel like you can run for 120 minutes.

"I think it is probably a more mental thing on the back of our success the last month and a half, but we've certainly finished games strongly."

Thornton said the Magpies defensive unit had come together before the start of the winning streak to work on their communication and ensuring each players was sure of his role.

Their discussions and some training sessions on dealing with set play scenarios has paid off with the Magpies allowing just two goals in the past six games.

"We were disappointed with some of the goals we conceded earlier in the year. We always knew that we were capable of keeping clean sheets and in the last few weeks it has been a team effort in defence," Thornton said.

"We have addressed it in the last month, we've spent a few training sessions on defensive corners, free kicks.

"A lot of it was probably communication was lacking early in the season. We seem to have sorted those issues out and each player knows their role on those set pieces now. At the same time some of the goals we conceded were just very good goals from set pieces and you are going to have them scored against you.

"The structural changes in our formation probably helped a bit with us sitting a bit deeper and playing more on the counterattack. If you don't concede goals you win games and that's what we have been able to do.

"We've ridden our luck at times but we have been able to scramble well in a lot of matches to keep those clean sheets. If we are keeping clean sheets we will back the boys up front to at least get a goal or two each game."