Farnworth and the Phins back five ready to aim up

At the Warriors, their weapons include speedy winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who has found a new lease on life since making the move to Aotearoa New Zealand, while Tonga wrecking ball Leka Halasima has also found a new home, creating havoc playing the in the centres.

For Farnworth, his side's back five were motivated to by the work done inside, knowing the team were counting on them to capitalise on the effort of their forward pack.

“We've obviously got our middles who work super hard for us, so we just want to work hard for our middles," Farnworth said.

“So we try and get as far up the field as we can and if we can score, even better.”

As for his own own form, the England international was again quick to praise his team-mates for helping him rise to be one of the best attacking threats of the competition. 

“I’ve got some very good players inside me and Issy [Isaiya Katoa] and obviously Kodi [Nikorima] there, he's putting me in good spots to be able to break those tackles and offload, so probably credit goes to those two guys.”

Since coming into the competition, the two sides have met on eight occasions, sharing the honours with four wins each. This season, they have each won at home, with both games decided by a margin of two points.

The Warriors are no strangers to finals football in recent years, having made the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. The Dolphins on the other hand are looking to make a splash in their maiden campaign.

Farnworth however is one player who does have vital finals experience on board, with the heartbreaking result of the 2023 grand final, where he was with the Broncos, still driving him today.

“It's definitely a hard one to get over that one, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it a fair bit," Farnworth said.

“But I feel like I've grown as a person, as a player from it.

“Obviously, the boys ended up putting it right in the end, which was good to see.

“A lot of good mates who worked really hard and ended up getting a ring, so hopefully it's our turn this year and we can do it.

“We look around, we've got a really good, talented crew, we’ve got a very good playing group and a good coaching staff who've worked really hard in the offseason and pre-season and now into the season ...

"We're really well prepared to go on and hopefully (start by) beating the Warriors this weekend.”

After 27 epic rounds, it all comes down to this. One play can define a season. These are the moments that matter. The Dolphins need your support as they chase premiership glory. Click here to secure your seats and get behind your team.