NRL

Holmes' sparkling form to end 2018 sees him on track to become one of the Telstra Premiership's elite No.1s, just as Slater wraps up a storied career that has helped redefine fullback play in the modern era.

The Sharks custodian has been as keen a student of Slater as any, with Cronulla's coaching staff preparing specific tutorial footage of the Melbourne maestro for Holmes to pore over.

"We have an analyser app the coaches show us that they cut up some videos for me to look at," Holmes said.

Down 18-0 after 30 minutes on Friday night, the Panthers mounted a memorable fightback but fell agonisingly short in front of 19,211 at Allianz Stadium.

A 75th-minute field goal to Sharks halfback Chad Townsend proved decisive as rival playmaker Nathan Cleary hooked his attempt to level the contest soon after.

The Sharks now meet arch-rivals Melbourne at AAMI Park next Friday night in what shapes as a mouth-watering preliminary final.

Not only will it be the first time the Dragons face the foundation club in a finals match since their merger with Illawarra in 1999, but Penrith also have a first finals date with Cronulla in the other semi.

The Panthers and Sharks entered the competition at the same time in 1967.

The Dragons will have to do so without skipper Gareth Widdop, who re-injured his shoulder in Sunday's elimination final win over Brisbane and is likely out for the rest of the finals.

Blaring music and simulated crowd noise was the backdrop on Tuesday as the Warriors prepared for the atmosphere they expect against Penrith at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.

Fit-again five-eighth Green introduced the idea, believing the Warriors need a reminder of what awaits in the play-offs, seven years after their last post- season experience.

"It's just a lot louder when you play finals footy. It was just something I thought would be of benefit," he said.

A hat-trick to David Fusitu'a and masterful display from Shaun Johnson laid the foundations of a memorable win which ensures the Kiwi club enters the post- season for the first time since 2011.

Hot and cold performances over the last two months left the Warriors' fate on tenterhooks for an extended period but the Panthers never threatened to halt the party for 17,195 supporters.

A second successive loss under caretaker coach Cameron Ciraldo drops the Panthers from fifth to sixth and drives a dagger through their top-four hopes.

Relief will descend on Mt Smart Stadium if the eight-placed Kiwi outfit can see off Penrith Friday night, booking their first post-season campaign since 2011.

Lose and they could face a nerve-wracking final-round match against Canberra, presuming the ninth-placed Wests Tigers have kept themselves in contention by beating Manly on Thursday.

A run of yo-yo performances have stopped the Warriors from sealing the deal, including last week's dramatic 27-26 loss to Canterbury.

The Roosters could have gone a game clear on top of the ladder with a win at GIO Stadium.

Instead, their poor record in the nation's capital continued, where they haven't won since 2010.

The Roosters are locked in a three-way battle at the top of the table for the minor premiership with Melbourne and South Sydney.

The Storm are ahead because of their superior points difference.

Red-hot fullback Tuivasa-Sheck is pointing to last month's embarrassing 36-12 loss to the Gold Coast Titans as the wake-up he and his team needed.

The seventh-placed Kiwi club have since outplayed St George Illawarra and Newcastle to all-but book a finals berth.

At the forefront has been Tuivasa-Sheck, returning the football in devastating fashion.

Every defender beaten and metre chewed up is based on a more narrowed approach, he says, with the 25-year-old now realising he had spent too much energy on what he thought a captain should be doing.

Cecchin, who disallowed a try that would have given Tonga an upset win, has told The Sydney Morning Herald he was in an Auckland bar when police rang to tell him they had contacted him and several family members that had been targeted.

He was advised not the leave the hotel and told he would be picked up and taken to the airport.

On his return to Australia, he was picked up by the Australian Federal Police.

He also flicked through his phone to discover more than a thousand "vile" attacks, the likes of which he had never encountered across his entire career.

Harris (knee) and Luke (calf) were listed in the initial line-up for last Sunday's encounter with Gold Coast but didn't recover sufficiently and were later ruled out.

Blair was serving a one-match suspension but, along with Luke and Harris, returns in a starting forward pack showing three changes from the combination used in the 36-12 loss to the Titans.

Luke slots in for Jazz Tevaga, Harris for Joseph Vuna and Blair for Simon Mannering.