Finals footy is finally here, with four mouth-watering games set to kick off the month of September in the NRL.
Parramatta and Penrith will face off on Friday night in the hopes of booking a prelim final and a week off, while South Sydney will write another chapter into their 'Book of Feuds' in an elimination clash on Sunday.
Saturday will be flush with footy as well, with the Storm hosting the Raiders and Cronulla taking on North Queensland.
Each game presents plenty of exciting individual match-ups, from the fullbacks out west to the lock-forwards by the beaches.
Here's the key battle that will decide each of this weekend's games.
Penrith Panthers vs Parramatta Eels
Dylan Edwards vs Clint Gutherson
In a hotly-contested battle of western Sydney, the two popular fullbacks could have the biggest influence on the result come Friday night.
Dylan Edwards has continued to go from strength-to-strength for the Panthers, and it finally appears as though he is receiving the accolades he rightly deserves.
The 26-year-old has scored eight tries and set up a further six this year, but it's his ability out of the backfield that make him such an integral part of the Penrith lineup. Edwards averages 218 run metres per game - more than any other No.1 this year - and has broken 98 tackles, putting him in the top 10 across the entire competition.
Clint Gutherson on the other hand has flown somewhat under the radar, but his 2022 campaign has been another strong one and his class with the ball is what sets him apart from most fullbacks.
'King Gutho' is more of a point-scoring threat than Edwards, scoring 14 tries and producing 16 try assists this season. The 27-year-old's work-rate is also impressive, averaging over 150 run metres per game, but it doesn't come close to what his opposing custodian does in that department.
Gutherson is looking forward to the challenge of playing against the premiership-winner at Bluebet Stadium.
“He’s a great player, I haven’t had much to do with him but he’s a competitor and does so much work for them at the back,” Gutherson told NRL.com.
“I think he’s been one of the form fullbacks for the year. As a fullback you want to challenge yourself against the best. He’s probably the unsung hero in that team.”
Both fullbacks are in the elite when it comes to defence and positional play, and it's no secret that both Edwards and Gutherson are among the fittest players at their respective clubs.
If the game is fast-paced and end-to-end, both players will be able to show off their respective strengths. If the game turns into a slugfest, Gutherson has the ball-playing tools to break the game open.
Melbourne Storm vs Canberra Raiders
Cameron Munster vs Jack Wighton
Two proven big-game players will go head-to-head on Saturday evening, with the battle in the No.6 jumper set to play a massive part in this elimination final.
Cameron Munster continues to cement his legacy, again helping the Maroons to an Origin series this year and keeping the Storm's season alive despite a tough injury toll.
The 27-year-old has been the best five-eighth all year, and the stats are there to prove it. Munster has scored 11 tries and set up a further 15, while his 111 tackle breaks puts him in the top-five across the entire competition.
Jack Wighton's year on the other hand has been a tale of two halves. Early in the campaign, the Raiders star was struggling without a recognised halfback and changes at hooker due to Josh Hodgson's injury.
But since the return of Jamal Fogarty from injury, Wighton's form has improved and so have the Green Machine as a whole. The 29-year-old has only produced nine try assists, but his influence on the side is undeniable.
Both men boast strong running games - it is arguably their biggest strength - but what we have seen from Munster is the ability to produce big individual plays on countless occasions in these types of games, which could prove the difference between the two sides.
Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys
The back five battle
Not many people expected either of these sides to finish in the top-four this year, and a major reason for their respective rises up the ladder was due to their back-five.
Cronulla boast a power game in their outside backs and at times it has been an unstoppable task for opposition defences.
Siosifa Talakai and Jesse Ramien have both had career-best campaigns in the NRL. Between the two hulking outside backs, they have scored 16 tries, broken 185 tackles and produced 18 try assists, making them arguably the best centre combination in the competition this year.
Further out wide, Ronaldo Mulitalo has also had a career-best year, finishing with 16 tries (5th in the NRL), 28 linebreaks (2nd in the NRL) and 90 tackle breaks (14th in the NRL). His partner in crime, Sione Katoa, will unfortunately miss the finals series due to injury.
At the back for the Sharks, Will Kennedy has again been solid, but will be coming into this game off the back of a lengthy injury layoff.
But speaking of fullbacks, what about the year that opposing No.1 Scott Drinkwater has had? Despite starting the year in reserve grade, the 25-year-old has become a central part of the side's attack, scoring 11 tries and producing 15 try assists.
The performances of wingers Murray Taulagi and Kyle Feldt also can't go unnoticed. The pair of wingers have combined for 26 tries, 32 linebreaks and 136 tackle breaks this year, while both men also average over 140 run metres per game.
Valentine Holmes has also shone for North Queensland in his new home at centre, while the addition of Peta Hiku has added some much-needed experience to the side. Both players are classy with their touches, but it's Holmes who adds the X-factor and pace out wide.
Given the absence of Katoa for the Sharks and the performances of Drinkwater for the Cowboys at fullback as opposed to Kennedy, the visitors likely have a slight edge on paper in their back-five - but since when does that mean anything in the finals?
This battle should be an absolute beauty and could prove the difference between the two sides, as they look to book a spot in the prelims.
Sydney Roosters vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Victor Radley vs Cameron Murray
Just putting these two men in the same sentence is sure to elicit some kind of reaction from either side of Anzac Parade.
Rabbitohs fans love them some Cameron Murray - to them, he may as well be the second coming. They adore his tenaciousness, ability, good looks and clean-cut image.
But whatever you do, don't compare him to Victor Radley, because they will bite your head off and tell you the million different reasons why their boy is better than him.
Is Murray a better player? Sure. He's played Origin, he's played for Australia, he has the numbers to back it up.
The 24-year-old Bunnies captain beats out his opposing No.13 in most notable statistics. Murray averages 115 run metres and 40 tackles per game this year, while also breaking 35 tackles and making 35 offloads.
On the flip side, Radley averages 112 run metres and 31 tackles per game, and has managed just 14 tackle breaks and two offloads all season.
But what Murray doesn't have is two premiership rings, and there's no doubt that eats him alive.
What he also doesn't have is that same mongrel in him that Radley does. To use an extremely American phrase, 'Victor the Inflictor' has got that dog in him. Very few players in the competition - let alone at Radley's stature - can strike fear into an opposition with their ability to pull off a big hit.
Radley is also a terrific ball-player, having spent time in the halves and at hooker in his younger years, which has made him such a focal point of their attack and allows room for the likes of Luke Keary and James Tedesco.
Murray is statistically a better lock-forward in terms of run metres and tackles, but his ball-playing has also improved and his combinations with the likes of Damien Cook and Cody Walker is so vital for Souths.
Both players will come into this game off the back of nasty head knocks, and both incidents were caused by putting their body on the line and looking to chop down opposition players in defence. Murray and Radley will throw caution to the wind like few others in the competition, and it will be no different come Sunday afternoon.
What will be most important in this individual battle is who can control the middle of the field better with their ball-playing, especially inside their opposition's red-zone. There is so much talent in both the Rabbitohs and Roosters backlines, but their shifts out wide all start with their locks laying the platform.
