Tuesday 1 October 2019 16:21, UK
It is all or nothing for Wigan Warriors and Salford Red Devils on Friday night.
The winners will meet St Helens at Old Trafford for the Grand Final on October 12, while for the losers, the season is over.
The experience of being able to handle big-game, play-off rugby league could be a crucial factor and Wigan have it in abundance. For example, Friday will be Liam Farrell's 250th career appearance in cherry and white.
"To make make 250 is really special, but I feel like these last 50 have taken me a lifetime," Farrell said. "The best thing would be to come up with a win, but I'm really looking forward to it."
Farrell was a fresh-faced 19-year-old when he made his debut for the senior team, having come through the club's academy.
"It was an Easter Monday at Wakefield, and was a late call because George Carmont had pulled out," Farrell recalled.
"Michael Maguire was the coach at the time, he put me in, and luckily enough on the day we won, and I got over the line. I was nervous, excited, I couldn't sit still on the bench, but I was very grateful for it."
"To make make 250 is really special, but I feel like these last 50 have taken me a lifetime. The best thing would be to come up with a win, but I'm really looking forward to it."
From there, he went on to become an integral part of the team that enjoyed incredible success, winning four Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups, and a World Club Challenge. So selecting a favourite moment is far from easy.
"That's a tough one," Farrell said. "I would probably pick the 2010 Grand Final, that was my first year of playing.
"The club had been through some tough times a few years before that. To turn the year around like we did with Michael Maguire was outstanding.
"A lot of young lads came through at that time - Sam Tomkins, Lee Mossop among others. It was the start of a good time for the club, and we're reaping the rewards from that now."
Throughout that time, he's had the pleasure of working alongside some of the best players Super League has ever seen, not least of all current team-mates Sean O'Loughlin and Canberra Raiders-bound George Williams.
"Lockers (O'Loughlin) has been outstanding for the club, a one-team man," Farrell said. "But then you get people like Matty Bowen, I always rated him.
"He only spent a year at the club, but he's probably one of the most skilful players I've ever seen. Brett Finch was a great player as well. Pat Richards was just outstanding, I think it was 2013 when he won every award there was.
"One guy I have to mention is George Williams. He's going to leave us at the end of he year. You see some players come to the club and show how good they are but others, you don't realise how good they are til they have gone, and I think George will be one of those."
Though it was Maguire who gave Farrell his debut, it was the Australian's assistant Shaun Wane, who then went on to succeed Maguire as head coach, who would shape his future.
"Barring my parents, he's been the biggest impact on my career, he's coached me since I was 15-years-old," Farrell added.
"The influence he's had on me since then has been unbelievable, and he's made me the player I am today, and I'm very, very grateful for him for doing that.
"I really respect him for what he's done and some of the players he's brought through this club have been unbelievable. I don't think his time at this club will ever be forgotten."
Now under the watchful eye of current coach Adrian Lam, Wigan have the chance to make it to the Grand Final for the second year running.
But earlier in the season, when the reigning champions had lost five of their opening six Super League fixtures, few people would have expected them to be in a position to defend their title.
"I think the attitude was there, the will for the lads to win was there, but obviously some things weren't working for us," Farrell said.
"We had a new coach at the beginning of the year, he was putting new things in place, and as the season went on we had a few players return - things started to click. The confidence grew as we started winning more and more games, and at the back end of the year we've been really good."
Now they need one more big effort, and face a Salford side which pushed them all the way when the two met in the qualifying final, just a fortnight previously.
"Some of the boys said that was probably the most intense game we had played all year - and rightly so," Farrell added. "I think Salford tested us a lot.
"They had a lot of ball in the second half, players like Jackson Hastings were causing us a lot of trouble and their middles were working really well. We're expecting the same kind of thing this week."
Now at the age of 29, and having clocked up 10 years at the club, Farrell has been awarded a testimonial year for 2020. However, he has no plans for retirement just yet.
"How long can I go on for? I don't know," Farrell said. "Lockers has set the bar pretty high!
"But I'm loving my time at the club and I cant see myself going anywhere else."
