Sunday's Eden Park showdown against the Knights is a must-win for the Warriors.
Denied a trip straight to the preliminary finals last week after the Dolphins toppled them 26-16 at home, a loss to the Knights this weekend will end the Warriors' season - one that saw them finish second in the regular season – only pipped by the Panthers on points difference.
1News sports reporter Zion Dayal spoke to Channel Nine Australia rugby league reporter Zac Bailey ahead of Sunday's clash, discussing the Warriors' chances.
He tipped the Knights to ruin the party for Warriors fans, but said it could go either way.
"I don't know why. Just in the moment, I thought, you know what, the way the Knights beat the Bunnies, I was really impressed with. They're going to have to bring that again.
"I wanted it to be a Panthers-Warriors Grand Final. We won't get that now. Hopefully it's a Panthers-Warriors prelim final."
Bailey said the loss to the Dolphins will "make the job a lot harder". Only two teams have lost in week one of the finals and gone all the way – the Cowboys in 2015 and the Panthers in 2021.
A win last week would have also given the Warriors a week off.
"The week off is crucial," Bailey said. "There's no doubt about it. That hurts their chances big time.
"I think they just have to prove on Sunday that they are the real deal."
The location could also be a big factor, with Bailey calling Mount Smart "the toughest road trip in rugby league".
"You basically can't hear yourself."
Nearly twice the Warriors' usual home's capacity, a sold-out Eden Park could be "daunting" for the visitors.
"This is just going to be like the Mount Smart or Go Media Stadium field on steroids, not only for the Knights players, but also for the Wahs players."
Across the ditch, Bailey said most NRL fans had the Warriors as their "second team".
"I've always loved to see their charge towards the finals campaign. This year it seems to be a little bit different.
"There seems to be a real buzz in the air, especially in the lead-up to last week."
Watch Zion's Dayal's full chat with Zac Bailey on TVNZ+
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