More than 60,000 fans are expected to pack ANZ Stadium next Friday night for the biggest game between arch-rivals Sydney Roosters and South Sydney in 76 years.
With the Roosters surviving a North Queensland comeback to win 31-30 and advance to the preliminary final, both clubs will be vying for a shot at history when they meet for a place in the grand final.
For the Roosters, a win would give them the chance to become the first team to win back-to-back premierships in a united competition since Brisbane beat St George in the 1992 and 1993 grand finals.
For Souths, a win would put them in the grand final for the first time since John Sattler led the club to a record 20th premiership in 1971.
With 59,708 fans attending last year's round-26 match between the NRL's only two stand-alone foundation clubs at ANZ Stadium to decide the 2013 minor premiership, officials are anticipating a crowd in excess of 60,000 next Friday night.
Such a turnout will be welcomed by the NRL after a crowd of just 18,355 watched the Cowboys attempt the biggest comeback in the game's history at Allianz Stadium on Friday night after trailing the Roosters 30-0 after just 30 minutes.
However, the sighs of relief at League Central would be nothing compared with those within the Roosters' camp, who know they are unlikely to get a better opportunity to win back-to-back premierships than this season.
With Sonny Bill Williams returning to rugby union to play for the All Blacks in next year's World Cup and captain Anthony Minichiello retiring, the Roosters will not have the same firepower next season.
After returning from a five-year absence in rugby union, Williams led the Roosters to grand final glory against Manly last season and it was his charge at the line in the dying minutes that enabled the premiers to get five-eighth James Maloney in position for a close-range field goal that decided the match.
Williams said afterwards that he had grounded the ball over the try line but video referees Bernard Sutton and Luke Patten overturned referee Shayne Hayne's decision.
However, the Roosters' win was shrouded in controversy after North Queensland captain Johnathan Thurston was denied a try in the last minute for an alleged knock on.
Referee Gavin Badger called the knock on and Hayne referred the try to the video referees, ruling no-try.
Despite replays failing to clearly show a knock on by five-eighth Robert Lui, Sutton and Patten stood by the on-field decision and a furious Thurston said afterwards he was "speechless".
However, Thurston left little doubt at the time that he felt the Cowboys had again been the victims of a refereeing error in the finals after Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran was awarded a try after knocking on in 2012 and Cronulla winger Beau Ryan scored a seventh-tackle try last year.
"This is the third year," Thurston told Hayne. "That is a f---ing joke."
Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce was relieved that his side survived to play Souths in the biggest game between the clubs since Easts beat the Rabbitohs 19-3 in 1935.
The two clubs last met in a preliminary final in 1938.
"It was definitely a knock on but these days you never know," Pearce said. "It is going to be a tough game next week, but we are going to have to improve a lot."
