There is little question the absence of Nelson Asofa-Solomona for the NRL Grand Final could prove to be one of the key talking points.
The towering prop might have started the season in subpar form, but he has been fantastic in recent weeks, and now Melbourne have to find a way to be built different, and to cover his loss if they are going to overcome the Panthers in the decider.
This Panthers team are a juggernaut.
Five straight grand finals, going for a fourth straight premiership, and they have the best defence in the competition, with some of the best clutch players in the game.
That was fairly obvious in last year's grand final when Nathan Cleary piloted the side to the premiership from a position that looked helpless 20 minutes from full time, and has been with various other players throughout the course of 2024 in winning games and winding up second on the ladder.
Then there were the first two weeks of the finals where Penrith dominated. They demolished the Sydney Roosters in the first 25 minutes of the qualifying final before the scoreboard got a bit closer than it probably deserved to be.
The game against Cronulla in the preliminary finals wasn't exactly one way traffic, but they still were by far the better team in booking their place in yet another grand final.
As much as they may not have been perfect last weekend, the men from the foot of the mountains have had a way, not just this season, but over the last four years, of picking their opponents weakenesses apart.
And one of those weaknesses for the Storm this weekend could well be in the middle third of the park.
While Craig Bellamy's side do have depth in the front row, and it was on display early in the season when Asofa-Solomona was out of the side, then used in only a limited capacity when he did get onto the park, they are a far better side when the New Zealand international prop is at his best.
It's his last seven games where Asofa-Solomona has come back into the starting side and rediscovered the form he had during 2023 when he was among the best forwards in the competition.
Gone on the back of those seven weeks are any - even remote - talks and speculation over his potential move away from the Victorian capital, and arrived are those claims from last year.
His minutes have, generally speaking, been on the increase, running for more than 100 metres four times in his last seven games, while he also has 10 offloads and 18 tackle busts in the same time period. Compare that to the first 12 games of his season, and Asofa-Solomona only cracked 100 metres or more twice, while contributing 9 offloads while contributing 26 tackle breaks.
His numbers improving have come with a marked increase in domination for the Storm this year, and while there have been other factors throughout the season - their spine not being able to play often together being one of them - which have held them back from playing at their absolute best, their towering Kiwi prop is such a pivotal part of everything they do.
But now, he is suspended for the biggest game of the season after a high shot in the first seconds of last weekend's preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters.
Instead of running out with his teammates on Sunday evening, he will be forced to watch from the sidelines, and the blow couldn't be bigger.
It's two fold, because while Penrith will now be able to target the middle third of the field as a position of strength, it also reduces the aggression the Storm have to dish out.
When they were - even though leading the competition - failing the eye test as the best side of the competition through the first half of the campaign, they either didn't have Asofa-Solomona on the park, or didn't have him at their best.
Now, they have to go up against one of the competition's most fearsome front row combinations who have combined for three straight premierships without him.
What Asofa-Solomona would have donw is brought with him a direct match in the aggression and firepower departments for what James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota will bring on the other side of the park.
Now, it will be up to the remaining Storm forwards to pick up the slack and compete. The Storm spine know how to run on points, but no side can do it - particularly against the competition's best defence - without winning the battle of the middle.
Trying to do that without the Kiwi is a significantly tougher challenge.
Melbourne will need to be built different in that area of their game if they are going to snap Penrith's premiership streak.
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