Two teams riding high after wins at Magic Round square off in a round 12 clash which promises a smorgasbord of free-flowing football in Auckland.

The One New Zealand Warriors dug deep to arrest a four-game losing slide with a memorable win over the premiers as Taine Tuaupiki and Te Maire Martin stood tall in front of a raucous crowd at Suncorp Stadium.

In the absence of Shaun Johnson, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Tohu Harris and Kurt Capewell it was left to some of the Warriors’ unheralded players to take the fight to the Panthers and come away with a 22-20 triumph that could prove season-defining.

The Dolphins continued their rollicking start to 2024 with a hard-fought win over Wests Tigers lifting them to a 7-3 record.

At the corresponding stage last year the Dolphins were 6-4 in their debut season before winning just three of their final 14 games to slide out of contention.

A repeat of that seems most unlikely in 2024 with Wayne Bennett’s men showing greater resilience and boasting greater depth in their playing ranks to cope with injuries and the loss of star fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to Origin duty.