Melbourne and Cronulla will collide in a mouth-watering preliminary final after the Sharks' stunning 32-12 upset over the Raiders on Saturday night.
Craig Fitzgibbon's men dismantled the minor premiers on home turf, showing resilience after a first half where all of the possession and field position was in Canberra's favour.
Their reward is a trip to Melbourne for a chance at the grand final.
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The Storm, who finished second on the ladder, enjoyed the week off after a gritty win over the Bulldogs in the first week of finals.
Despite being well rested, Craig Bellamy still faces questions around his halfback Jahrome Hughes' fitness.
Rugby league immortal Andrew Johns, speaking on The Sunday Footy Show, warned that finals football is unpredictable and that the Storm will need to be at their best to fend off an in-form Sharks outfit.
"Finals are totally different," he said.
"Throw form out the window, this will go right down to the wire.
"Melbourne are heavy favourites, but wow, the way [Cronulla’s] playing, they’re on a roll.
"This is going to be a toss of the coin game."
The biggest storyline surrounds Hughes, who fractured his forearm in Round 27 against Brisbane and required a plate to be inserted. Johns believes the Storm should tread cautiously with their star playmaker.
"I wouldn’t play Jahrome," he said.
"I’d let the doctors and the physios decide - it’s such a big risk."
Brad Fittler also weighed in, emphasising Cronulla's strong record in Melbourne as a reason for confidence despite their underdog status.
"The fact that the Sharks have won down there a few times is really good for their confidence," he said.
The Sharks face a daunting task. They enter on a six-day turnaround after interstate travel, while the Storm are rested and could be bolstered by returning troops.
"They’re definitely the underdogs here, six-day turnaround travel, Melbourne have had a couple of weeks [off], they get some players back," said Fittler.
"They’re up against it."
Still, Fittler praised the consistency which has underpinned Cronulla's late-season charge.
"One thing in the Sharks’ favour is that they’re steady," he said.
"They’re fit, they’re healthy, they’re winning games.
"On the Melbourne side, they’ve got some big decisions to make: Jahrome Hughes has got a broken forearm and is looking to come back.
"Jonah Pezet, who was fantastic against Canterbury. Tyran Wishart, if Pezet doesn’t play, where does Wishart sit in all of this?"
2025 has already proven to be one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory, and although these two sides enter the contest with different challenges, it promises to be a compelling game of footy.