Just hours later, the pair will be side-by-side in Orange colours as their Eagles host the Illawarra Hawks in the third round of Basketball NSW's Spalding Waratah League, at Sir Neville Howse Stadium.

At 11am on Sunday morning, they'll resume their battle on Riawena Oval's wicket.

It's an intriguing situation by anyone's standards, a genuine friends to foes situation, but Kirby summed it up pretty neatly earlier this week.

"We'll be bitter enemies on the field but then we'll put on an Eagles [jersey] and we're best friends," he said.

Orange City pushed into the decider by sweeping aside Centrals, who looked near-certain minor premiers just two weeks earlier, and Kirby said he's hoping his Warriors' run from third holds enough momentum to quash Mansell's minor premiers too.

"I reckon we're going to be up to the challenge," Kirby said, before conceding there's one obvious obstacle to the Warriors' success in Stu Middleton.

Kirby and his Orange City chums have felt Middleton's wrath on two occasions this summer, the maroons' heavy-hitter plundered 159 against them in January and 124 just three weeks ago.

It's easier said than done, of course, but Kirby said his side has a simple plan to try and curtail the former Western Zone all-rounder.

"Hopefully by holding catches, but otherwise you've got to be tight and tie him down, and if you can't get him you have to target those around him," Kirby said, saying Mansell's a danger with the ball too.

With Kirby a regular in Orange City's top order, there's a real chance the pair will come face-to-face at Riawena Oval as a result - naturally, neither will be holding back.

"I've got a few things lined up for him," Kirby said, playing coy.

"I'll be going for his head," Mansell fired back, making no secret of the fact he won't hold back from delivering his rival some sweet chin music.

Kirby did the double-up last weekend too, starring in the Warriors' win over Centrals and playing in the Eagles' loss to the Canberra Gunners too.

"I pulled up pretty well, it's challenging but if you're fit enough you can do it," he said, before admitting his Eagles were simply "outplayed" by the Gunners.

"They were a young side and well-drilled," he said, with more than 250 people creating an NBL-like atmosphere for the Eagles' first home game in three decades.

"The atmosphere was incredible ... I was surprised to see that many people and we might even have more for our second game, we just need to put on a good show on the court."

Both Kirby and Mansell will be key to doing that, although some may not expect it from the former considering just last summer he was running around in men's C grade, albeit as a fill in while still playing alongside a number of his Eagles teammates in A grade too.

"When you're running around playing C grade you're having a lot of fun but you're in a higher echelon with the Waratah League," Kirby said.

Kirby said he's sure his side has the potential to take down the Hawks, something Mansell echoed.

"We've got a good line up, it should be a good match-up but I think we'll pull through," Manswell said.

The opening delivery of the ODCA second grade grand final is scheduled to be bowled at 1pm at Riawena Oval on Saturday and continues from 11am on Sunday.

The Eagles face the Hawks from 6.30pm at Sir Neville Howse Stadium.