Warriors coach Brian McClennan. Photo / Getty Bowker.
It was going to happen eventually but in the end it took 105 years.
Tomorrow night, coaching history will be made when Brian McClennan (Warriors) goes up against fellow Kiwi Stephen Kearney (Parramatta) - the first time two New Zealand coaches go head-to-head in Australian rugby league's top competition.
Kearney is only the third New Zealander after Bill Kelly (1920s-40s) and Graham Lowe (1990s) to coach Australian-based clubs in the competition while McClennan is the fourth New Zealander to guide the Warriors after Frank Endacott (1997-1998), Mark Graham (1999-2000) and Tony Kemp (2004-2005).
The significance won't be lost on McClennan and Kearney, who are also the former and current Kiwis coaches, but both will be more interested in winning and getting their respective seasons underway.
"There's no doubt it's a big game but every game in the NRL is a big game,'' Kearney said.
"We want to get up and running after last week's performance. I see with the Warriors it's no different.''
Both the Warriors and Eels go into the match after first-round defeats and it always feels better once there is a positive number in the win column.
Both sides were often the architects of their own downfalls last weekend with too many errors as the Warriors went down 26-20 to Manly and the Eels were tipped over 18-6 by Brisbane.
The Warriors trailed 16-0 early in the match and it was at least heartening for McClennan they pushed the defending NRL champions after playing so poorly for long periods. They made 19 errors - winger Manu Vatuvei made six - and missed 44 tackles.
"We need to have a lot more patience building into a game,'' he said. "Our game sense was down a bit but I'm also pretty excited by the potential we have as a team. We weren't too far away from a quality side yet there's so much more we can improve on.
"If you turn the ball over, you don't get a chance to get to your kicks and apply some pressure and make your opponents come out of your end. We just didn't do that enough, anywhere near enough. We know Parramatta can play the grinding style of game. We have got to learn our lessons quickly and that's that what we will be doing.''
Parramatta are expected to welcome back Australian internationals Jarryd Hayne (knee) and Willie Tonga (hamstring), who both missed the match with Brisbane. Hayne terrorised the Warriors last year with a series of torpedo bombs when the two sides met at Eden Park and McClennan wanted to make sure it didn't happen again.
It might factor into his thinking when he settles on his side to face Parramatta. He named an extended 20-man Warriors squad on Tuesday and most interest will focus on who starts in the centres.
Krisnan Inu was recalled to the squad in place of the injured Jerome Ropati (ankle) and his experience might see him get the nod over either Konrad Hurrell or Ben Henry, who both debuted against against Manly. Hurrell was impressive when he came on to replace Ropati and ran for a game-high 154m and made four tackle breaks but Henry was exposed a handful of times and McClennan said earlier in the week Inu would "probably'' play.
Inu, however, is an enigma. He's one of rugby league's most talented players but is known to drift through games and is guilty of letting others do the hard work. If he did play, it would be the first time against his old club.
"Fingers crossed I will be playing,'' Inu said. "It's going to be a big one, a big buildup for myself and Feleti Mateo going back to our old club and where we grew up playing footy. It's going to be huge.''