KEY POINTS:
When the great Ruben Wiki became the first Kiwi to surpass the mark of 300 games in the Australian premiership the Warriors got up and won for him.
That was in Sydney so the emotion of his last NRL game on home soil and penultimate match in the
competition will surely be sufficient to ensure the Warriors rise to the occasion against Penrith at Mt Smart tomorrow.
There are few sportspeople worthy of the word great in the wider sense but Wiki is one. A genuine nice guy, he remains proud of his Otara pedigree.
Where many would shun that past, instead he's turned it to good with community work to help children, coach league and back anti-violence and prostate cancer campaigns.
It seems unlikely anyone will surpass his record of 55 test matches. Already, it's been proved he is irreplaceable as a captain, the Kiwis struggling in 2007 and 2008 after two years of Tri Nations glory in 2006 and 2005.
At the Warriors, his input to the new generation has been invaluable. Wiki always has time for anyone who asks and is happy to pass on his knowledge and experience. He leads by example on the field and, just as importantly, off it. That was best exemplified in the manner in which he took his dropping to reserve grade mid-season because of lack of form.
Along with the vice-captain the club will farewell backrowers Logan Swann and Wairangi Koopu who have both been club stalwarts in good times and, more importantly, in the bad.
Wiki, 35, says he is still considering a last stint in Super League, Swann, 33, is definitely headed back there and Koopu, 28, is open to offers in Northern Hemisphere league and union, though he has never played the latter.
The Warriors will take the field firm in the knowledge that a loss ends their finals hopes and that they will travel to Parramatta next weekend only so the Eels have someone to beat in the last round before the playoffs. They need to win that game, too, in order to make the top eight since a points differential that remains in the negative will see them bumped behind teams which have the same number of competition points.
Losing to the strife-racked Panthers would be a bad stumble.
The focus at the foot of the Blue Mountains all week has been on suggestions Kiwi Frank Pritchard lacks desire to play for the club and ongoing rumours he wants out, not least because of a standoff with the coach Matt Elliot. Pritchard requires a full reconstruction of his right shoulder and surgery to correct a bicep problem in the left. The club is delaying that until the playoffs run is determined.
Penrith won the NRL title in 2003 after beating the Warriors in the third weekend of the playoffs but few from that team remain at the club now _ Tony Puletua who has signed with St Helens, Luke Priddis who is going to St George in 2009, Luke Rooney who is off to Toulon and Shane Rodney who signed with Manly this week _ leaving just Luke Lewis and Trent Waterhouse.
Gone are Craig Gower (Bayonne), Paul Whatuira (Huddersfield), Ben Ross (Sharks), Preston Campbell and Luke Swain (Titans), Joe Galuvao (Eels) and Ryan Girdler and Martin Lang (retired).
Swann is the last player remaining from the Warrior's start in 1995, playing 145 games to 2003 then returning in 2006 after a three-year stint in Super League. He is one of three remaining Warriors players who appeared in the 2002 grandfinal and in that 2003 semifinal loss to Penrith, the others being Koopu and Lance Hohaia. And the coach, Ivan Cleary.
Gone are Stacey Jones and Kevin Campion (retired), Ali Lauiti'iti, Jerry Seuseu, Motu Tony, Francis Meli, Justin Murphy, Clinton Toopi and Awen Guttenbeil (Super League), PJ Marsh (Broncos), plus Richard Villasanti, Mark Tookey and John Carlaw (parts unknown).
The Warriors look to be doing a good job of rebuilding. They have restored some credibility _ otherwise the likes of Jacob Lillyman (Cowboys), Joel Moon and Denan Kemp (Broncos) and Liam Foran (Storm) would not be signing on.
Tomorrow they need to win to prove two things: their respect for Wiki and that they will continue with an allegiance to each other that can carry them to a successful future. Defensive scramble, the muscle on the line, determination to win and commitment to carry that through will be the measure of those.
The Panthers have not won at Mt Smart since 2005 but beat the Warriors 46-22 in Penrith in June.
The Auckland Vulcans need to win their last two games to make the playoffs of the Jim Beam Cup Sydney and environs competition. They play away to the Canterbury Bulldogs on Saturday and host Manly next week.
Brett Finch is out of the Eels-Dragons game that has a bearing on the Warriors' ladder position, with Kris Keating at halfback and Feleti Mateo going from lock to five-eighth.
Kiwis prop Jason Cayless will miss this weekend's Challenge Cup final against Hull KR after suffering a knee ligament injury but Francis Meli and Willie Talau are named for Saint Helens' attempt at a third consecutive title under Daniel Anderson.
Jake Webster is named at centre for the Rovers, coached by former Warrior Justin Morgan.