As an NRL clash against his former side Penrith Panthers awaits, NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster is at pains to point out this week isn't about him or his battle with opposite Ivan Cleary.
In his first season with the Warriors, and as a head coach in general, Webster's influence has been as notable as it is significant with the Kiwi club.
Taking the reins from Nathan Brown - who oversaw the worst season in the club's history - Webster's first nine games see the Warriors eighth on the ladder, with five wins and four losses to start the year.
Webster's ascension to the Warriors' head coaching role could have been seen as a risk to the club, appointing the 41-year-old to the job without any experience.
However, as a former assistant coach at the club under Andrew McFadden, and coming at the personal recommendation of premiership winner Cleary, the Warriors' gamble has paid off.
Webster and Cleary are no strangers. Along with new Canterbury Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo, Cleary and Webster were a formidable coaching combination with Penrith Panthers, leading the club to back-to-back NRL titles in 2021 and 2022.
This year, though, Webster and Ciraldo's promotions sees the three coaches each in charge of a different NRL side.
On Saturday, Webster will come up against Cleary for the first time, as the Warriors look to avoid a third-straight defeat.
Conversely, the seventh-placed Panthers are also in desperate need of victory after a shock loss to the last-placed Wests Tigers last weekend.
But while so much of the pre-match narrative will focus on the two coaches, Webster insists he and Cleary should not take centre stage.
"I spoke to Ivan last week, everything's fine," said Webster. "We didn't talk about this game, just around how he's going, how his family's going - more than football, really.
"I know everyone likes to build it up, but Ivan and I aren't going to tackle each other, not that I know of anyway.
"The players are going to do all the battling. I'm sure I'll say g'day to him after the game, but both of us are going to be focussed on helping the team get the points this week."
"I'm just grateful for all the opportunities Ivan's given me. All the mentoring, all the opportunities to be a good coach, to learn. That's about it.
"[But] I'm just focussed on what we've got to do to win. I'll probably think about all that after [the game] but I haven't right now."
Webster also knows the importance this week takes for the Warriors.
Two defeats in the last two weeks leaves the Warriors' place in the NRL's top eight on shaky ground, only ahead of ninth-placed Redcliffe Dolphins on points differential.
For the coach himself, that leaves victory itself as the most important result on Saturday, ahead of any personal battle against Cleary or the Panthers.
"I've learnt, just getting a win in the NRL is the most exciting part. There's quite a lot of people I like at Penrith, [I had] great times.
"I want two points for the club, the fans, for everyone. I don't think anyone cares about me this week.
"The boys downstairs just want to win. The fans just want to win.
"My motivation is to get that for everyone."
