It may just be another club fixture, but make no mistake - Wednesday's Anzac Day clash between the NZ Warriors and Melbourne Storm will have a test-match edge to it.
When the in-form Auckland-based outfit crosses the Tasman to take on the reigning champions, this will be one of the very few occasions each season where both NZ and Australian national anthems will reverberate across an NRL venue.
And while there will be Aussies in the Warriors ranks and Kiwis within the Storm line-up, no-one is under any illusion that this will be as keenly contested as any international showdown.
"Not at the moment, but when we get there, it will be a big occasion," admits Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
"We'll all line up for the anthem, and that's when you start to feel it and how much it means to everyone.
"It does feel like a test - the crowd is there, it's packed out, all the lights are off, there's stuff going on on the field and there are flags waving.
"It feels just like a test, but once the kick-off goes, it's just a game."
At this stage of the season, with the Warriors poised 6-1 one off the top of the table and the Storm uncharacteristically stumbling out of the blocks at 4-3, the encounter looms as another litmus test for the suddenly resurgent NZ team.
The feeling between these two rivals will be far more than coincidental, with Warriors coach Stephen Kearney obviously tapping into his experience as a Storm assistant to help turn his club around.
His three biggest signings this season - Tohu Harris, Adam Blair and Blake Green - have all come through the Melbourne system and bring that championship pedigree with them.
They've also been on both sides of the rivalry.
"It's not just another game, because it's a pretty significant day for Australians and New Zealanders," says Kearney.
"Our focus is obviously on performance and getting that right, but certainly with an eye on the significance on that day. It is another game, but it's no ordinary day.
"Melbourne will put on a pretty good show in terms of the pre-match and you're playing against the defending premiers, so I don't think it needs a great deal more.
"We know we're in for a big challenge, but the significance of the day is pretty special for everyone involved.
"Hopefully next year, we can get it back at Mt Smart."
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