Doing an apprenticeship as an assistant coach in a first grade system is often a prerequisite for becoming an NRL head coach.
The origin of almost every elite clipboard holder working in the NRL today can be traced back to a prolific coaching tree.
With just eight teams remaining in the fight for the 2025 premiership, the Week 1 matchups have delivered three fascinating master versus apprentice storylines.
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NRL finals Week 1 master versus apprentice coaching duels
Andrew Webster spent two years learning under Ivan Cleary - winning two premierships - before forging his own path leading the Warriors' resurgence across the Tasman.
Now Webster's Warriors face Cleary's Panthers, an elimination final that pits student against mentor who share philosophies that revolve around discipline and detail.
Craig Fitzgibbon sharpened his tactical and defensive nous as Trent Robinson's long-time assistant during the Roosters' premiership years before taking charge of the Cronulla Sharks.
This week, Fitzgibbon meets Robinson in the finals and the stage is set for a tactical chess match between two coaches who know each other's styles intimately.
Michael Maguire joined Canberra as Ricky Stuart's senior consultant in 2023, effectively serving as a sounding board during the Raiders' recent campaigns.
The Broncos' recent surge into the top-four now places Stuart and Maguire on a collision course; however, due to their arrangement in the nation's capital as head coach and senior consultant, it's unclear who would be considered the apprentice in this scenario.
Either way, it's clear that those two seasons together in Canberra had a great influence on both men who will do battle on Sunday afternoon.
Three games, three master-apprentice duels: the finals stage will double as a proving ground for protégés and a reminder of the coaching trees that have had an enduring influence on the NRL.