Captain Mannering, after being troubled by niggling injuries last year which caused him to miss seven matches, did extensive injury prevention work which has paid off.
Mateo dropped kilos to be fitter than ever while Matulino has impressed with his willingness to do extra work at training.
All have had special seasons. Mateo has developed into the player fans hoped he could be; a genuine offensive threat with and without the ball. Matulino is an established NRL prop, after questions over if he wanted to move from the second row. Mannering remains a relentless worker and an increasingly confident leader.
There was early apprehension over Mateo; his ability to deliver and which number he should wear.
"It was tough to handle the expectation," admits Mateo. "I had a slow start and probably tried my hand too much."
His maturity has come to the fore in recent weeks; he sparked the comeback against the Tigers with a second-half try then locked in for the arm wrestle against Melbourne.
Says former Warriors captain Awen Guttenbeil: "He's comfortable with his role now and is picking his moment to inject."
Matulino adds: "He brings an X factor in the forwards. something we probably haven't had since Ali Lauitiiti."
Mateo is starting to see himself as a senior player. "I've earned my stripes now and flicking balls out on early tackles in my own half probably isn't the way".
A strong performance from Mateo is vital today. He can create uncertainly in any defensive line and his ball-playing combination with Kevin Locke, James Maloney and in particular Shaun Johnson is key.
He is a clever footballer, as seen in the way he gained the crucial penalty just before halftime against the Storm.
If Mateo can be flash, Matulino brings the bash. He is the hardest hitter in the Warriors' team, and his mere presence creates apprehension.
"He is the man that everyone runs away from," says Guttenbeil. "You don't want Benny to put his shoulder into you because he can hurt you."
Matulino admits the initial idea of moving to the front row was a "hard sell" but he is now ensconced in one of the best four-man rotations in the NRL.
"He is tall [1.93m] for a prop but doesn't get pushed back," explains Guttenbeil. "He's got great body position going into tackles and his late footwork helps to get slightly between tacklers."
Still only 22, Matulino has played eight tests and 85 NRL matches. Unusually, he prefers not to start matches, enjoying the extra time on the bench to prepare and focus. While happy with his 2011 record, he shrugs off any ironman talk.
"You can't compare with Simon," laughs Matulino. "In terms of minutes I've played half the season and he has played the whole season."
Along with Micheal Luck, Mannering is the Warriors version of 1980s Parramatta icon Ray Price, nicknamed Mr Perpetual Motion. That was epitomised last week. He was immense in the first 20 minutes, helping to steady the ship after Melbourne's early try and tireless on defence and attack.
In the second half it was his 20m run which dragged in five defenders and gave Shaun Johnson the space to work his match-winning magic.
Peers talk of his selflessness, his ability to do all the little things that often go unseen: "In a tackle, Simon will fight that little bit harder to get someone on their back," says Guttenbeil.
"It gives the rest of the team an extra second to get back onside. He is often doing the hard yards near the line or making the effort to stop try scorers from narrowing the angle."
Matulino talks of the example the captain sets, whether taking ice baths after training or being last to eat at team dinners.
The trio will need to be at their very best today, facing a Manly pack with proven big game players.
While the backs and especially the halves tend to gain the plaudits on grand final day, the last few seasons have shown where the game is really won.
