In an era of positive reinforcement, such images should religiously be posted on the walls of the locker rooms in the bowels of the Harris Stand to ensure the mongrel juices are flowing through the veins of Mike Coman and his men.
The personnel may have changed considerably for the visitors but Manawatu coach Jason O'Halloran certainly hasn't forgotten the agony of losing in the 2011 decider to provincial rugby heaven.
It wasn't just a case of losing the final that day but also the anguish of coming to terms with the province's only chance of footing it in the premiership.
Manawatu have yet to compete with the big boys in the higher echelons of the NPC although O'Halloran reconciles that with a crossover format that enables second-tier wallahs to crouch, touch and engage over winter.
The tag of perennial underdogs sits quite comfortably, too, with the former Hurricanes, Lions and "12-minute-old" All Black midfielder.
In the tradition of deflecting the focus on their opponents, he emphasises the Turbos don't have brimming coffers of unions such as those from Hawke's Bay.
Neither do the men in green have the depth on their bench to emulate those of lucrative unions.
"Hawke's Bay are pretty well sorted, having played five pre-season games so they are the favourites to win the Championship," O'Halloran declares, stressing how the Saracens XV whipped the Manawatu Evergreens 46-14 last month in Palmy.
On the bright side, the Turbos are free of injuries despite a few nigglies to some of the backs in a squad split of 16-15 favouring the blokes in the engine room.
The two Aarons - first five-eighth Cruden and halfback Smith - are notable omissions but then O'Hallaron didn't expect to see much of the pair on All Blacks duties.
Homegrown Jade Terure, a Palmerston North Boys' High School player who went to the Under-20 World Cup, will be jostling for the positions of little generals with the likes of Australian-based Nick Stirzaker, of the Rebels fame, Nathan George, Papa Wharewera and Canadian international Hubert Huydens.
Needless to say rain and wind aren't going to bother captain Nick Croswell and his men boasting eight Super Rugby players although they do have a lot of respect for the Magpies.
Consequently it begs the question: "So what do you think makes the Turbos habitually play out of their skins against their neighbours?"
O'Halloran explains: "It probably a hangover from the Viking days when everybody wanted to brag about who had the better team and physicality."
He expects nothing short of a "brutal type of footy" on Saturday.
You see, the Buckman photo does put a lot in perspective.
