Toughness and resilience will win the NRL premiership and only five teams have those qualities in 2014.
On Friday, I witnessed two of them in the Sea Eagles and Roosters. They fought out an encounter you would be happy to see in the grand final again.
The animal within this Manly team permeates an ethos of grit and determination, where contesting everything becomes habitual. They are a team that performs every time they take the field, no matter who is in, or out, of their team.
It starts with the coach or leader of the group. That person drives change and ensures perseverance is maintained until it becomes habit.
What that habit is determines the attitude and work ethic of the organisation or team. Manly are led by coach Geoff Toovey, who is a little more animated but has refined what Des Hasler initiated.
The Roosters have the resilience to win when they are in front but rely more on flair. Toughness is only a word given to individual players within this team. Jared Warea-Hargreaves has it but not resilience yet. Aidan Guerra, Boyd Cordner and young bull Dylan Napa have toughness. Sonny Bill Williams has both but not the whole team. Their destiny is uncertain.
A team who have that determination are the Storm. They have been the benchmark for most sides and other codes over the past decade.
This club's dedication to working harder than any other is well known within league circles. Most try to emulate it, but fail.
Some leaders don't follow through with consequences if standards aren't set or even maintained.
However, it's the players who need to police those standards on a daily basis both at training and during games. It's then when culture starts to show.
The Bulldogs are back to a standard set in the 1980s when toughness was in their breath. Hasler has refined it further and his team will be in the mix come playoff time.
The Rabbitohs can be physical, but maintaining an edge of mental resilience has been lacking over the last two playoff campaigns. If they can get over that and turn failure into success, it may be the making of a new Storm.
In both the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs, there's not a player in either starting line-up who is not of strong character.
I fear placing the Warriors in this category, as they have not proven they possess enough quality. They certainly have ability but it's toughness and resilience that coach Andrew McFadden is trying to instil at all levels of this club - it starts with first grade.
There have been signs since his appointment but it will take time to reach that summit.
To see it happen week after week, season after season, is the time we know a winning culture has formed. Today, it begins again.