Andrew Alderson: Warriors v All Blacks - Who do you watch tonight?

COMMENT: A dilemma looms for neutral sports fans tonight.

When the average couch kumara unfurls their armchair and indulges in spoils from the fridge and larder, which dose of live code should take priority?

A) League's Warriors versus the Panthers, kicking off at 7.30pm in Sydney*

B) Rugby's All Blacks versus Los Pumas, kicking off at 7.35pm in Nelson*

The obvious solution is to monitor each match through the nzherald.co.nz live blogs and Radio Sport and NewstalkZB commentaries but, if you insist on watching both, that poses a problem.

Recording one game while watching the other is a sensible option for disciplined viewers.

But consider this: One social media monitoring slip on your smartphone and the score - or worse, the result - could be coughed up like possession in the hands of a butter-fingered ball carrier.

For rarity value, tune in for the drama at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, where the Warriors play their first game of finals football in seven years.

Those keeping the faith have endured a harrowing set of six empty seasons since the Ivan Cleary-coached, Simon Mannering-led juggernaut rolled into a 2011 grand final defeat to the Manly Sea Eagles.

What's more, with the Warriors finishing eighth on the 2018 table, this week's match is an elimination final. It could also be a last NRL appearance for 300-game warhorse Mannering as he prepares to graze in the back paddock.

The rugby presents a first, with Nelson's Trafalgar Park hosting its maiden All Blacks test.

The ground put on three internationals during the 2011 World Cup, but this will be a special fixture, underlined by the selection of Tasman representatives Shannon Frizell and Tim Perry in the starting XV and reserves respectively.

However, with the All Blacks featuring again next week against the Springboks in Wellington, rugby might need to sit on the reserves bench this evening, at least for the first 60 minutes in Sydney. A firmer gauge of the Warriors' future should be gleaned by then.

*Apologies to those intending to tune in elsewhere to the likes of Jersey Shore Family Vacation, E-Sports and Gaming - Top 10 Countdown, or Air Fryer Oven – Taste The Difference.