The Penrith Panthers, who have been the best team again during the regular season, will look to get another finals series underway on the right foot when they host the competition's feel good story in the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday afternoon.
Feel good story or not though, this will be as tough of a challenge as the Warriors have had to come up against this season.
Instead of working their way through another regular season game, they will run into the juggernaut that is the Panthers without star Shaun Johnson.
If that wasn't bad enough, the Warriors are on the road, have other injury problems, and have never beaten the Panthers in a finals game.
Penrith aren't completely 100 per cent as they come into this game either with injuries of their own, but in true Penrith style, players just continue to step up to the plate.
Most of their best 17 have spent time on the sidelines this year, and yet, Ivan Cleary's side has brought another minor premiership to the foot of the mountains.
While there is no hoodoo as there was in Friday's qualifying final between the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm, this will be equally as challenging for the Warriors if they want to book their passage directly to the preliminary final, and yet, based on everything Andrew Webster's side has served up this year, you can bet they will fight to the death and make this a close game either way.
Team news
Penrith Panthers
1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 14. Tyrone Peachey 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To'o 6. Jack Cogger 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo
Interchange: 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Zac Hosking 18. Jaeman Salmon
Reserves: 21. Luke Garner 19. Matt Eisenhuth
As mentioned briefly above, the Panthers come into this game not quite at 100 per cent. While Jarome Luai's injury is already known, and he could be back for the five-eighth, the latest blow for Cleary's side is to Izack Tago.
The centre is a late withdrawal for the side, with Tyrone Peachey starting at centre and now experienced utility Jaeman Salmon joining the bench.
In better news for the Panthers, Scott Sorensen and Mitch Kenny are back for this qualifying final.
New Zealand Warriors
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Adam Pompey 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Te Maire Martin 14. Dylan Walker 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Jackson Ford 12. Marata Niukore 13. Tohu Harris
Interchange: 15. Jazz Tevaga 16. Bayley Sironen 17. Josh Curran 21. Bunty Afoa
Reserves: 18. Freddy Lussick 20. Taine Tuaupiki
The Warriors welcome back the troop of players they elected to rest for last weekend's loss to the Dolphins, including, most importantly, Tohu Harris, who was out injured with a back problem.
Unfortunately, though, the Warriors will be without Shaun Johnson after he suffered a calf injury at training during the week.
That means it's a new-look halves combination, with Te Maire Martin and Dylan Walker to guide the team around the park during the opening week of the finals. It's believed Johnson will be fit by the time the Warriors are required to play again, whether that be in Week 2 or Week 3.
Regular season matches
Round 10: New Zealand Warriors 6 defeated by Penrith Panthers 18 at Suncorp Stadium
The Panthers and Warriors only met on one occasion this year, all the way back in Magic Round. It was a clash filled with controversy which saw a Warriors sponsor take a swipe at the officiating directly after the game.
On-field, the Panthers were able to record an unconvincing 18 points to 6 win, but given how much the Warriors have improved since the early going this season, it's hard to read anything into the contest on neutral soil.
Keys to the game
The Warriors' kicking game without Shaun Johnson
Shaun Johnson has led this team around the park all year. A favourite for the Dally M Medal, he is the key reason - albeit not the only one - for the Warriors' success.
His attitude was solid arriving in Australia on Thursday, saying his teammates will fill the void, but there is little doubt that filling his shoes won't be quite that simple.
The new-look halves combination of Te Maire Martin and Dylan Walker will, simply put, have the weight of the world on their shoulders.
While Walker's role will be to run and take all the pressure off Martin, it'll be on his new halves partner to run the kicking game, which Johnson has run faultlessly this year.
Martin has the ability to do it, but hasn't played all that many games since returning from injury, and doing it against Penrith is another thing entirely.
Penrith's metres from the back
One area the Panthers consistently dominate every team they come up against is metres from the back and starting sets.
It means they are constantly playing the game where they want to be and attacking, while their forwards don't have to do quite as much work to get back behind the ball.
The efforts of Dylan Walker, Sunia Turuva and Brian To'o sometimes seem to go unnoticed, but they really shouldn't given the advantage they provide the men from the foot of the mountains.
This ties directly in with the Warriors' kicking game, but Andrew Webster's side need to match the metres through their own strong backs of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Marcelo Montoya if they stand a chance here.
Wayde Egan's dominance of the ruck
If there is a single area the Panthers haven't quite had the ascendancy this year, it's in the ruck. Injuries at times haven't helped, but replacing Apisai Koroisau is bordering on impossible, no matter the job Mitch Kenny and Soni Luke have done.
That gives the Warriors an opening here.
Fast, accurate service from Wayde Egan, who has become one of the club's best and most consistent, will be critical if the visitors are to fall over the line here.
Playing against his former club, Egan will no doubt have a point to prove, and based on form, he has all the tools to excel and send what is an excellent crop of forwards led by Addin Fonua-Blake onto the offensive.
Prediction
As much as the feel-good story of the Warriors has one of the largest bandwagons in the history of this competition, it's simply impossible to see them knocking the Panthers over in a final on the road.
Even more so with Shaun Johnson being ruled out.
Jarome Luai's absence brings some questions over Penrith, but Jack Cogger has filled in beautifully all year, and with Nathan Cleary steering a well-oiled machine, the men from the foot of the mountains should complete a comfortable win to book a home preliminary final in a fortnight.
Panthers by 16.
Key game information: Penrith Panthers vs New Zealand Warriors, NRL qualifying final
Kick-off: 4:05pm (AEST), Saturday, September 9
Venue: BlueBet Stadium, Penrith
TV: Fox Sports, Channel 9
Online: Kayo Sports, Foxtel App, 9 Now
Betting: Panthers $1.13, Warriors $6.05
Referee: Adam Gee
Overall record: Played 50, Panthers 31, Warriors 18, Drawn 1
Record in finals: Played 2, Panthers 2, Warriors 0
What happens to the winner and loser?
The winner of this game proceeds directly to the Friday evening preliminary final, where they will have hosting rights. The loser hosts a semi-final next week on Saturday evening against the winner of Sunday afternoon's elimination final between the Newcastle Knights and Canberra Raiders.
Zero Tackle will run a live blog, scores and stats of the game in our match centre from 4:05pm (AEST) on Saturday afternoon.
