For Melbourne, this is the end of an era.
For North Queensland, this might just be the beginning of a bright new day.
As the Storm prepare to bid farewell to Cooper Cronk during Sunday's NRL grand final, the Cowboys are likewise preparing for their own changing of the guard.
With Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston sitting on the sidelines, Michael Morgan and Jason Taumalolo have fired the underdog Cowboys to a second grand final in three years and signalled they're ready to lead the team for years to come.
Whichever way the result goes at ANZ Stadium, it will be remembered as a fairytale.
The game will be the last time 'The Big Three' of Cronk, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater take the field as arguably the greatest club combination.
Slater is also considering hanging up his boots as the Storm enter the season decider as the shortest-priced grand final favourites in two decades.
After losing just four games all season, it's considered the Storm's match to lose.
The Cowboys on the other hand scraped into the finals in eighth spot and are aiming to become the lowest-ranked team to win the grand final.
In July, Queensland and Brisbane great Darren Lockyer declared the Cowboys couldn't win a title without Thurston but coach Paul Green bristled at the suggestion they had nothing to lose.
"I find it really funny when people say you've got nothing to lose in a grand final," Green said.
"I think anyone who's said that has never played in a grand final. That doesn't make sense at all.
"We've got as much to lose as the Melbourne Storm do."
The performance of Morgan and Taumalolo during the finals has proven there is life beyond Thurston and Scott, both of whom are expected to retire at the end of 2018.
On the flip side, it remains to be seen whether the Storm can remain competitive without Cronk, and possibly Slater, next year.
After having the 2007 and 2009 premierships and 2006 and 2008 minor premierships stripped for salary cap cheating, Melbourne have just the 2012 title to show for their 12-year reign of dominance.
Asked if the Storm should have won more titles considering how strong they have been for so long, Bellamy said: "No.
"Sometimes you guys don't know how hard it is to make a grand final, let alone win one.
"To make a grand final, you have to do a whole heap of things right throughout the year, then have a bit of luck at the end of the year to make one.
"If you've never been involved, you don't know how hard it is."
STATS THAT MATTER
* The Cowboys have won two of their previous three finals meetings with the Storm.
* After nine-straight victories, Melbourne are searching to become the first side since Manly in 1972 to win 10 straight on their way to a grand final triumph.
* Since the inception of State of Origin in 1980, this will be just the second grand final, and first since 1998, that has not featured any capped NSW players.
Source: Fox Sports Stats
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