Alan Tongue won't be surprised if tensions boil over when the Canberra Raiders host the Penrith Panthers on Saturday night.
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Mark Geyer hopes tensions do boil over.
If history is anything to go by, sparks are likely to fly when the two sides clash.
It's a rivalry that dates back to the late 1980s and early 1990s when Geyer's Panthers took on Ricky Stuart's Raiders in a number of intense contests, including the 1990 and 1991 grand finals.
Matt Elliott's defection from the Raiders to the Panthers in 2007 triggered a renewed wave of hostility, culminating in Tongue's side claiming an upset 24-22 victory in Penrith in the first week of the 2010 finals.
Unsurprisingly, with Stuart back at the helm, the rivalry has developed into one of the biggest in modern-day rugby league in recent seasons.
"Ricky's the master," Geyer said. "There's a reason he's been coaching for so long, he's successful, he knows how to read what's going on in front of him.
"I have no doubt he'll bring up the incidents from last year and this year. He'll say to his side, 'These are the guys who won the comp, if you want to win the comp, go out and beat them.'
"Players from both sides will be amped up for a fantastic game. The Panthers players are out to show they can win without their halves. The Raiders are out to show their faithful they are in the premiership hunt."
The modern-day rivalry has been typified by five key flash points, a period started when John Bateman and Viliame Kikau went at it for 25 memorable minutes in Wagga in 2019.
Kikau, of course, had a running battle with Jordan Rapana 12 months earlier, ripping the Canberra winger's jersey in a heated confrontation.
Last year, Stephen Crichton was charged with contrary conduct for involving Joe Tapine in a Penrith try celebration, the Raiders forward not even on the field at the time.
It was an act that saw Canberra CEO Don Furner label the Panthers arrogant, comments that did not go down well at the foot of the mountains.
It was unsurprising then, that the Raiders received a frosty reception on their return to Penrith earlier this season.
With Canberra falling 36-6, Panthers fans made their opponents know how they felt about the result, starting the Viking clap late in the contest.
The most memorable moment of the match, however, happened after full-time. Crichton was again in the thick of the action and involved in a scuffle with Jack Wighton while the two teams were shaking hands.
Given the passion both teams display, Tongue isn't surprised Raiders-Panthers contests often threaten to boil over.
When two teams are refusing to take a backwards step, Tongue said, sparks are guaranteed to fly.
"It comes down to the will and want of the players," Tongue said. "They love their footy club, they love playing with their mates and they want to win.
"There won't be a huge amount of added motivation for the Canberra players to get up to play this game. They're playing the best team in the competition, it's almost a do-or-die battle to get into the finals and they're at home.
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"As a player you don't need too much added motivation with that on the line. The challenge will be sticking to the game plan in the wet conditions."
Both Tongue and Geyer expect the battle in the forwards to decide the contest.
It's a confrontation that will see Tapine, Josh Papalii and Hudson Young take on Kikau, Isaah Yeo and James FIsher-Harris.
"The forwards battle is paramount," Geyer said. "Joe Tapine is in the top two or three front rowers in the game. The Improvement of him in the front row has been immense."
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