The Dolphins will draw on their own response to two thrashings to rewrite the NRL history books as they prepare to take on a Warriors side they have already forged a classic rivalry with.
The Dolphins trained at The Dilworth School senior campus in Auckland on Friday and came through injury free ahead of what coach Kristian Woolf said was a "special occasion" in their maiden finals appearance on Saturday.
There is an old chestnut in the NRL that refers to a historical point that no side has won the premiership after conceding 50 points in a match. The Dolphins lost 52-18 to Manly and 66-0 to Cronulla, both at Redcliffe, in rounds five and 19.
Both have been followed up, either soon after or immediately after, with eight-game and seven-game winning streaks.
"It is a sign of the group," coach Kristian Woolf said.
"Everyone can have bad days and we certainly had a couple, but what I have been really proud of is how they have responded.
"We haven't dropped confidence. We have come out of it and wanted to work hard and earn respect back.
"We have done that really well. Those sorts of records have been around for a long time but at some stage someone is going to break them and hopefully that can be us."
Co-captain Isaiya Katoa said there was a lot of soul searching after the Manly loss.
"One thing we spoke about in our review was never tossing up a performance like that again," Katoa told AAP.
"As a group we got over that and then played Penrith in Darwin and lost by one point in golden point.
"Then over to New Zealand we lost to the Warriors by two points. Those two sides were sitting first and second on the ladder. After that we went on our first win streak of eight in a row."
The thrashing by Cronulla was a glitch, but once again the response was key.
"I feel like we have had two turning points. It was crazy they both happened after we played at home and put in performances we weren't proud of and don't want to see again," Katoa said.
"After the Sharks one we spoke about how as a group that if we want to win the competition one thing we need to do better is defend our tryline."
The Dolphins have conceded 118 in their last seven wins, defending much better.
Against the Warriors they have gone loss-win in eight showdowns with the last six games decided by four points or less.
They have won several classics, including a last-minute try by Jamayne Isaako in Auckland in 2024 and a late four-pointer by Selwyn Cobbo this season in Brisbane.
The Dolphins have New Zealand internationals Jeremy Marshall-King, Kodi Nikorima and Isaako in the side and Samoa and Tonga internationals such as Connelly Lemuelu, Katoa and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki who have also lived in New Zealand.
"We both play a little bit different which adds to the contest but what we do the same is we both like to be aggressive, play physical and both teams like to go after each other," Woolf said.
"We have a lot of guys who have either spent time here (in New Zealand) or were raised here. They all love coming here and playing in front of their families. It is something they don't get to do so often so it does add a layer of excitement.
"The game is going to be big enough with what is on the line."
