Lance Hohaia is fully aware the Warriors' best-case scenario will see them with their feet up after Round 1 of the NRL finals, but even he concedes that's unlikely to happen.
The champion fullback scored two brilliant tries in last week's classy 36-4 blitz of the Brisbane Broncos, which booked a finals berth in what was thought to be the Warriors' last home game of the season.
But if the following unlikely permutations play out, the Warriors will play in before another bumper sell-out Auckland crowd next week.
Foremost in their minds is spoiling Parramatta's send-off for inspirational World Cup-winning Kiwis skipper Nathan Cayless. The Eels will be highly motivated to farewell their legendary leader on Saturday, as he calls an end to his coveted 14-year club legacy.
The fifth-placed Warriors also need Benji Marshal's Tigers to tip up Gold Coast on Friday night, and pray like hell the Roosters somehow fall to the pitiful Cowboys in Townsville. If the aforementioned unfolds, Hohaia will be a happy man.
"We can still push up the ladder and maybe secure a home-semi if we play well enough and we deserve it, so that's a big incentive for us to finish in the top four," he said. "There's nothing better than playing infront of a packed crowd at Mt Smart."
"If we can push up to fourth, and we can win that first semi, that's going to give us a chance to have a week off. That would be the best scenario for us. It's going to be exciting, but we've got a lot of hard work to do this weekend before we can celebrate."
After a horrific early-season injury toll built character and depth, the Warriors' squad is now confident and cohesive leading into the finals. Other playoff-bound clubs have suffered suspensions and injuries this week, but the Warriors are only missing back-rower Micheal Luck, who is likely to return next week.
Jerome Ropati is not 100 percent, still restricted by a nagging groin injury. But the centre was not going to let Joel Moon take his spot with so much at stake.
"I don't want to be sitting on the sideline headling into the finals," he said defiantly. "You don't want to miss the opportunity to play with the guys and get in the atmosphere."
While Hohaia was buoyant, a circumspect Ropati warned his team-mates of underrating last year's beaten grand finalists who hold trump cards in Jarryd Hayne and 2011 Warriors' singing Feleti Mateo.
"We've been guilty in the past of underperforming against teams who are on the backfoot. This week's is going to be a test for us," Ropati said.
"The most important thing is we get a good result and we get a good performance against the Eels. If we do that, and we end up sixth or whatever, that will be as good as getting a home final."
A loss could see the Warriors fall back to eighth, if Canberra pips the Broncos and Manly holds off Canterbury.
Momentum is with the Warriors and coach Ivan Cleary finally saw his side's potential realised last week. He said if they can replicate that form, anything's possible.
"If we play like we did last week we give ourselves a chance to win any game. The challenge is to be able to do that each week. But to be able to play like that in a high-stakes game shows the players can handle the pressure," Cleary proudly predicted.
Hohaia too, hinted the bigger picture had been mentioned.
"I'm confident we're all switched on because we know what's at stake. It's only five weeks until the grand final," he said with a grin.