BRIAN Smith says it's possible to lose a grand final at events like today's grand final breakfast. If so, he can rest easy. The Roosters are still in the big one.

It's not often that the mood and issue of the GFB, as we call it in the biz, is summed up succinctly right at the end by a seven-year-old.

But when Perthville Wildcats player Taylor Murray was asked if she had any advice for the coaches, she replied: "The Dragons should pass the ball around a bit more''.

If St George Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett wanted to have his players develop a siege mentality to take their minds off the horrible weight of expectation that goes with their jersey, he could not have scripted it better.

"She's been listening to dad, I'd say,'' Bennett said of Murray. "He's getting frustrated in front of the TV.''

The questioning from MC Warren Smith (or ‘Wayne' Smith if you were the man from AAMI) at the Sydney Convention Centre was so focus on the Dragons conservatism that it was almost as if they had committed an affront by winning the minor premiership.

That's not to criticise Woz. He captured the mood perfectly. When Bennett talked on stage, his answers were circumspect. When Smith talked, Bennett ate.

The Roosters laughed and passed notes around during the media conference, with prop Jason Ryles seeming to refer to dodgy tourist establishments in south-east Asia when asked if he was ever tense.

"What sort of ‘tense'?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

When BackPageLead asked Bennett if there was a body language contest going on every year at the GFB, he answered tersely: "I'm not playing a game. I don't know about the rest of them."

Smith, though, had a chuckle when asked if this was his most relaxed grand final. "I wish I had a hundred of them to talk about," he said.

Asked if deciders can be won or lost in the preceding week, he said: "Yeah it's possible.

"They can be lost. I don't think they can be won."

So the Roosters didn't look psyched out. The Dragons? We can all say if the are upset on Sunday that we saw it coming with the sunrise on Thursday.

But as if to out-relax Smith - or maybe just take pressure off his players - Bennett unexpectedly conducted a series of one-on-one interviews after the media conference.

A man who usually refused to talk to any radio station but ABC, he even spoke to Triple M! We await his thoughts on Metallica's recent dates at Acer Arena.

A few more highlights from the breakfast which I can't be bothered writing segues for:

- Todd Carney saying his confidence was down after a rib injury - before Smith co-incidentally switched him to five-eighth the very same week;

- David Gallop's shot at the AFL: "I know you'll be mentally and physically exhausted but one thing I can promise you is you won't be coming back";

- Bennett suggesting the preliminary final is "the toughest game - it turned out that way on Saturday night.''

Premiership-less Smith's response: "I'm hopeful that he's wrong. I've always found it the opposite - for obvious reasons.''

- Braith Anasta sucking up to Tony Archer and Shayne Hayne. "They're two of the best referees and I can't wait to work with them'';

- Anthony Minichiello's partner, Terry Biviano, pointing out that he has played in just about all the grand finals held when he was not injured in the last 11 years;

- Dean Young: "I suppose it's only fair that I'm in the next Dragons side to win a grand final";

- Bloody betting odds at a frigging breakfast! I almost threw up my bacon and eggs. Please, give us a break!

- Archer tipping the two-referee system to remain next year.

Oh, and Since this has been a longer-than-usual diary entry, we'll save our latest evil Steeler Denier additions until tomorrow! See ya.