Broncos coach Anthony Griffin has brushed aside any talk of a personal duel brewing between himself and Wayne Bennett ahead of Saturday night's must-win clash against the Knights.
Currently sitting two points outside the top eight with three rounds remaining, Brisbane face the grim reality of missing the finals in consecutive seasons for the first time in 25 years if the fall overcome the Knights on home soil.
The whole sub-plot leading into Saturday's Suncorp Stadium stoush has been focused around the battle between the Broncos' incoming and outgoing coaches.
However Griffin insists that Saturday's match is purely about keeping their season alive rather than earning bragging rights over the man who will take his job next season.
"I've been coaching for four years against a lot of coaches and what's done is done as far as what's going to happen next year," Griffin said.
"I'm just looking to focus on what's happening now and that's an important game for us tomorrow.
"[The Knights] have been in great form. They've beaten the Roosters and the Storm. They can't make the playoffs but they've been playing very well so it's going to be a tough match."
The Broncos experienced walking the finals tightrope last season and were eventually bundled out of contention by the Knights when they came to town and recorded an upset 26-18 victory over Brisbane in the penultimate round of 2013.
It's a situation that Griffin is accustomed to and one that may have ultimately led to his demise, although he remains optimistic about his teams' chances.
"We've just got to get the win, everyone understands that now," he said. "If we win tomorrow night we put ourselves in a position to make the play-offs so I'm excited about that."
Griffin also confirmed that Justin Hodges is likely to see some time at fullback despite Lachlan Maranta being named in the No.1 jersey.
The veteran centre hasn't played fullback since the opening two rounds of the 2007 season but had notable success in the role in the latter stages of the 2006 season including Brisbane's 15-8 grand final victory over the Storm.
The Knights will be forced into late changes with former Cronulla players Kade Snowden and Jeremy Smith withdrawn after accepting backdated doping bans from ASADA, while Jarrod Mullen is in doubt with a cork.
Michael Dobson will travel to Brisbane as cover for Mullen with Adam Cuthbertson moving into the starting side for Snowden and 20-year-old Kiwi Joseph Tapine in for compatriot Smith.
