Wigan look set to be unchanged on Friday night when they take on Warrington in the clash between Super League's top two from last season.
The Warriors won the League Leaders' Shield in 2012 after finishing the regular season at the summit, though the minor premiers lost both meetings with the Wolves.
Coach Shaun Wane has called on the home side to show they can perform in the pressure situations, having also gone out in the semi-finals of both the Challenge Cup and the play-offs.
"This is a big game," he said. "It's at home, in front of a packed house.
"It is a marker for us. The big games let us down last year. Some of our big names didn't perform and that's something we need to change."
Wigan are again without forward trio Harrison Hansen, Chris Tuson and Epalahame Lauaki, meaning they are likely to keep the same line-up that thrashed Salford 42-0 on opening night last Friday.
Warrington, meanwhile, will have to make at least one alteration from the side that defeated Castleford 40-24 at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Sunday.
Ben Harrison is ruled out with a groin strain, so either prop Paul Wood - who this week has been linked with a move to the Cherry and Whites - or teenage second-rower Ben Currie will come into the 17-man squad.
"They've got some great players and they're well coached," Wane added of the Wolves, who triumphed 22-20 in a thriller at the DW Stadium last season.
"They're very competitive, they play a very physical game and they've got two good halves in (Richie) Myler and Lee Briers.
"It's no surprise to me that they're favourites. They're the benchmark, they're where I want to be. They're a bit of a bogey team for us."
Squads:
Wigan: Burke, Charnley, Dudson, Farrell, Flower, Gelling, Goulding, Green, Hughes, McIlorum, Mossop, O'Loughlin, Powell, Prescott, Richards, Smith, Taylor, Thornley, S. Tomkins.
Warrington: Atkins, Briers, Carvell, Cooper, Currie, Evans, Grix, Higham, Hill, Hodgson, J. Monaghan, M. Monaghan, Morley, Myler, Ratchford, Riley, Waterhouse, Westwood, Wood