NSW Waratahs captain Lawson Creighton and Western Force captain Darcy Swain have thrown their support behind Super Rugby AUS's growth as they hunt for the title on Sunday.
The two captains will lead their respective sides in Sunday's Final in Wanneroo after an action-packed month.
Watch the Super Rugby AUS Final live and on-demand via Stan Sport.
The Force secured home-field advantage largely off the back of an opening round win over the Waratahs, who proceeded to sweep through the Queensland Reds and ACT Brumbies to set up a rematch in Perth.
For the hosts, they are hunting for their first piece of silverware since the NPC in 2019, while the Waratahs are out for their first title since their famous 2014 win over the Crusaders.
Creighton was around the Reds in 2021 when they took out the last Australian-exclusive competition and knows what it can do for a group.
"Sometimes winning is a bit of a skill," he said.
"I think that just gives everyone confidence that then winning starts to become something that you do more often."
Swain tasted his own slice of success with the Brumbies in Super Rugby AU in 2020, alongside the NRC, and could see the similarities within the competitions.
Both captains agreed they would like to see Super Rugby AUS continue into the future as part of an expanded home-and-away concept.
"It's very similar (to NPC) I think it's just a little bit shorter so blokes know that they've got to be on probably from the start," Swain said.
"There's no time to sit back and just go through the motions, you've got to be up to a decent standard to be able to play this level.
"Playing a bit more rugby is probably more beneficial for these guys.... I think it probably needs to be a little bit longer to get that same sort of effect that NRC did."
The match shapes as the battle of the fullbacks, with Max Burey and James Hendren the standouts behind the Force's and Waratahs' rise to the Finals.
"I think it's just opportunity, right? These guys have been able to step up and play more minutes," Creighton said on what has led to Hendren's rise.
"I think for Jimmy, he's been training really well, but obviously, throughout the seasons, you've got someone like 'Jorgo' [Max Jorgensen] and 'Kels' [Andrew Kellaway] that he's nipping behind. I think it's just the opportunity to get more minutes, more game time and that's just, he's been able to perform really well. So it's been good to see."
"'Biz' has been at the Force for a few years now and he's been sitting behind a couple of guys. He comes in and does a job, but the Super AUS season's allowed him to step up and be a bit of a leader and express himself," Swain said on Burey.
"He's been able to play the footy that he does, and the boys have been getting around him. He steers the ship with 'Dono' [Ben Donaldson] and then off the back of that, he just plays footy.
"He's a bit of an instinctive guy and when he goes, everyone just gets behind him."
