League: Warriors take a leaf out of Storm's book ahead of Panthers showdown

Tohu Harris wants the Warriors to take a slice out of the Storm's league playbook, as they prepare for their first finals adventure in years.

The Warriors face the Panthers at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Saturday evening in an elimination final, ending an NRL playoff drought dating back to 2011.

It's a historic achievement, after multiple seasons of heartbreak, but after being focused on the destination all year, now it's more about the journey.

There are experienced players throughout the Warriors squad but no one has played more finals football in recent years than Harris.

He was part of a Storm team that featured in September for the past five seasons, reaching two grand finals and a preliminary final. They had a knack of peaking at the right time, something Harris wants the Warriors to emulate.

"It's great to see a Warriors side back in the finals ... but we're not just content with that," Harris said yesterday. "We want to make sure we are performing well in the finals. We have done a good job getting here, now it's a new competition. We need to prepare as well as we can for this competition."

Coach Stephen Kearney echoed those sentiments. He has preached a week-by-week mantra throughout the season but now the Warriors are just a few steps from the summit.

"It's a new competition," said Kearney. "What we have done before we can use as lessons and take some good parts from it, but the reality is that we all start on the same level, particularly the teams in the sudden death situation. It's about turning up and playing your best footy when it matters most, which for us is 5.40 (AEST) on Saturday afternoon."

Yesterday's session was conducted with speakers pumping out loud crowd noise and cheering to mimic what the Warriors will face in Sydney, which made for a surreal atmosphere on Mt Smart No3.

"It's a way to try and simulate what the atmosphere will be like as much as possible," said Harris, who confirmed the Storm had tried the same routine in the past.

"I find it works. We had a few instances [yesterday] where we had to be a lot clearer with our communication. Anything we can find to help us, we'll put in place," he said.

"One of the most important things for our team is communication and making sure that everyone is clear on what their roles are and their jobs," said Adam Blair. "The loud noise helps, the volume goes up a bit in the group."

Like Harris, Blair is a finals veteran, after several campaigns with the Storm and Broncos, but admitted this time is a bit special.

"I'm quite nervous and maybe it's a good thing," said Blair. "I've played in a few and this one just feels a bit different, for some reason. I'm excited for this group, for the people involved in this organisation, but at the same time, I just want to play well for the team and do my part. The more you enjoy it and embrace the week, the easier it is."

Simon Mannering (sternum) and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (ankle) took no part in training but Kearney indicated they would be strong chances to play. Issac Luke also didn't engage in some of the contact work, as he continues to manage niggling injuries, but is certain to start, barring any mishaps at training.